Pācittiya 59: The Training Rule on Asking the Date of the Uposatha and For the Ovada.
- Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Brahmali. (More copyright information)
Origin story
1At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the nuns did not enquire about the observance day nor ask for the instruction. The monks complained and criticized them, “How can the nuns not enquire about the observance day nor ask for the instruction?” …
“Is it true, monks, that the nuns don’t do this?”
“It’s true, Sir.”
The Buddha rebuked them … “How can the nuns not do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
2‘Every half-month a nun should seek two things from the Sangha of monks: asking it about the observance day and going to it for the instruction. If she lets the half-month pass, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”
Definitions
3Every half-month: every observance day. The observance day: there are two observance days: the fourteenth and the fifteenth day of the lunar half-month.
4The instruction: the eight important principles. If she thinks, “I won’t enquire about the observance day, nor ask for the instruction,” then by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Non-offenses
5There is no offense: if there is an obstacle; if she searches for a companion nun, but does not find one; if she is sick; if there is an emergency; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
The ninth training rule is finished.
1p_2V_3167, msdiv1058Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchanti ovādampi na yācanti. Bhikkhū ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: “Kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchissanti ovādampi na yācissantī”ti … pe …
“Saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchanti ovādampi na yācantī”ti?
“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchissanti ovādampi na yācissanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
2p_2V_3168, msdiv1059“Anvaddhamāsaṁ bhikkhuniyā bhikkhusaṁghato dve dhammā paccāsīsitabbā— uposathapucchakañca ovādūpasaṅkamanañca. Taṁ atikkāmentiyā pācittiyan”ti.
3p_2V_3169, msdiv1060Anvaddhamāsan'ti anuposathikaṁ. Uposatho nāma dve uposathā—cātuddasiko ca pannarasiko ca.
4p_2V_3170Ovādo nāma aṭṭha garudhammā. “Uposathampi na pucchissāmi ovādampi na yācissāmī”ti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte āpatti pācittiyassa.
5p_2V_3171, msdiv1061Anāpatti—sati antarāye, pariyesitvā dutiyikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ na labhati, gilānāya, āpadāsu, ummattikāya, ādikammikāyāti.