Pācittiya 43: The Training Rule on Spinning Yarn or Thread.
- Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Brahmali. (More copyright information)
Origin story
1At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, the nuns from the group of six were spinning yarn. When people walking about the dwellings saw this, they complained and criticized them, “How can the nuns spin yarn? They’re just like householders who indulge in worldly pleasures!”
2The nuns heard the complaints of those people, and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can the nuns from the group of six spin yarn?” …
“Is it true, monks, that those nuns do this?”
“It’s true, Sir.”
The Buddha rebuked them … “How can the nuns from the group of six do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
3‘If a nun spins yarn, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”
Definitions
4A: whoever … Nun: … The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case.
5Yarn: there are six kinds of yarn: linen, cotton, silk, wool, sunn hemp, and hemp.
6Spins: if she spins it herself, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. For every pull, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Non-offenses
7There is no offense: if she spins thread that has already been spun; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
The third training rule is finished.
1p_2V_3011, msdiv986Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo suttaṁ kantanti. Manussā vihāracārikaṁ āhiṇḍantā passitvā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: “Kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo suttaṁ kantissanti, seyyathāpi gihiniyo kāmabhoginiyo”ti.
2p_2V_3012Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā … pe … tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: “Kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo suttaṁ kantissantī”ti … pe …
“Saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo suttaṁ kantantī”ti?
“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo suttaṁ kantissanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
3p_2V_3013, msdiv987“Yā pana bhikkhunī suttaṁ kanteyya, pācittiyan”ti.
4p_2V_3014, msdiv988Yā panā'ti yā yādisā … pe … bhikkhunī'ti … pe … ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.
5p_2V_3015Suttaṁ nāma cha suttāni—khomaṁ, kappāsikaṁ, koseyyaṁ, kambalaṁ, sāṇaṁ, bhaṅgaṁ.
6p_2V_3016Kanteyyā'ti sayaṁ kantati, payoge dukkaṭaṁ. Ujjavujjave āpatti pācittiyassa.
7p_2V_3017, msdiv989Anāpatti—kantitasuttaṁ kantati, ummattikāya, ādikammikāyāti.