1Venerables, these eight rules on acknowledgment come up for recitation.
Origin story
2At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, the nuns from the group of six were eating ghee that they had asked for. People complained and criticized them, “How can nuns eat ghee that they have asked for? Who doesn’t like nice food? Who doesn’t prefer tasty food?”
3The nuns heard the complaints of those people. The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can the nuns from the group of six eat ghee that they have asked for?” … “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:
4“If a nun asks for ghee and then eats it, she must acknowledge it: “I have done a blameworthy and unsuitable thing that is to be acknowledged. I acknowledge it.”
5In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the nuns.
6Soon afterwards a number of nuns were sick. The nuns who were looking after them asked, “I hope you’re bearing up? I hope you’re getting better?”
“Previously we ate ghee that we had asked for, and then we were comfortable. But now that the Buddha has prohibited this, we don’t ask because we’re afraid of wrongdoing. And because of that we’re not comfortable.” …
They told the Buddha. Soon afterwards the Buddha had the Sangha gathered and addressed the monks: “Monks, I allow a sick nun to eat ghee that she has asked for.
And so, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
7“If a nun who is not sick asks for ghee and then eats it, she must acknowledge it: “I have done a blameworthy and unsuitable thing that is to be acknowledged. I acknowledge it.””
Definitions
8A: 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.
9Who is not sick: who is comfortable without ghee.
10Who is sick: who is not comfortable without ghee.
11Ghee: ghee from cows, ghee from goats, ghee from buffaloes, or ghee from whatever animal whose meat is allowable.
12If she is not sick and she asks for herself, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. When she receives it with the intention of eating it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. For every mouthful, she commits an offense entailing acknowledgment.
Permutations
13If she is not sick, and she does not perceive herself as sick, and she eats ghee that she has asked for, she commits an offense entailing acknowledgment. If she is not sick, but she is unsure of it, and she eats ghee that she has asked for, she commits an offense entailing acknowledgment. If she is not sick, but she perceives herself as sick, and she eats ghee that she has asked for, she commits an offense entailing acknowledgment.
14If she is sick, but she does not perceive herself as sick, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is sick, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is sick, and she perceives herself as sick, there is no offense.
Non-offenses
15There is no offense: if she is sick; if she asked for it when she was sick, but eats it when she is no longer sick; if she eats the leftovers from one who is sick; if it is from relatives; if it is from those who have given an invitation; if it is for the benefit of someone else; if it is by means of her own property; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
16The first training rule on acknowledgment is finished.
1Ime kho panāyyāyo aṭṭha pāṭidesanīyā dhammā uddesaṁ āgacchanti.
2Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjanti. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjissanti. Kassa sampannaṁ na manāpaṁ, kassa sāduṁ na ruccatī”ti.
3Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjissantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā, bhikkhuniyo sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjantī”ti?
“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjissanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
4“Yā pana bhikkhunī sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjeyya, paṭidesetabbaṁ tāya bhikkhuniyā—‘gārayhaṁ, ayye, dhammaṁ āpajjiṁ asappāyaṁ pāṭidesanīyaṁ, taṁ paṭidesemī’”ti.
5Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhunīnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.
6Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhuniyo gilānā honti. Gilānapucchikā bhikkhuniyo gilānā bhikkhuniyo etadavocuṁ—“kacci, ayye, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyan”ti?
“Pubbe mayaṁ, ayye, sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjāma, tena no phāsu hoti; idāni pana ‘bhagavatā paṭikkhittan’ti kukkuccāyantā na viññāpema, tena no na phāsu hotī”ti …pe…
Bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe… anujānāmi, bhikkhave, gilānāya bhikkhuniyā sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjituṁ.
Evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
7“Yā pana bhikkhunī agilānā sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjeyya, paṭidesetabbaṁ tāya bhikkhuniyā—‘gārayhaṁ, ayye, dhammaṁ āpajjiṁ asappāyaṁ pāṭidesanīyaṁ taṁ paṭidesemī’”ti.
8Yā panāti: yā yādisā …pe… bhikkhunīti: …pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.
9Agilānā nāma: yassā vinā sappinā phāsu hoti.
10Gilānā nāma: yassā vinā sappinā na phāsu hoti.
11Sappi nāma: gosappi vā ajikāsappi vā mahiṁsasappi vā. Yesaṁ maṁsaṁ kappati tesaṁ sappi.
12Agilānā attano atthāya viññāpeti, payoge dukkaṭaṁ. Paṭilābhena “bhuñjissāmī”ti paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti pāṭidesanīyassa.
13Agilānā agilānasaññā sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjati, āpatti pāṭidesanīyassa. Agilānā vematikā sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjati, āpatti pāṭidesanīyassa. Agilānā gilānasaññā sappiṁ viññāpetvā bhuñjati, āpatti pāṭidesanīyassa.
14Gilānā agilānasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Gilānā vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Gilānā gilānasaññā, anāpatti.
15Anāpatti—gilānāya, gilānā hutvā viññāpetvā agilānā bhuñjati, gilānāya sesakaṁ bhuñjati, ñātakānaṁ, pavāritānaṁ, aññassatthāya, attano dhanena, ummattikāya, ādikammikāyāti.
16Paṭhamapāṭidesanīyasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.