Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga - Pārājika 6: Not Informing About Another Nuns Serious OffenceNote by Bhante Sujato: Pārājika 2 in I.B. Horner’s edition.Bi-Pj.6
- 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 nun Sundarīnandā was pregnant by Migāra’s grandson Sāḷha. When the fetus got large, she concealed her condition. And when the fetus was fully grown, she disrobed and gave birth.
The nuns said to the nun Thullanandā, “Venerable, Sundarīnandā gave birth shortly after disrobing.”
“Could it be that she was pregnant while she was still a nun?”
“Yes, Venerables.”
“But, Venerable, when you knew that a nun had committed an offense entailing expulsion, why didn’t you either confront her yourself or tell a group of nuns?”
“Her disrepute is my disrepute, her infamy is my infamy, her notoriety is my notoriety, her loss is my loss. Why would I tell others of my own disrepute, infamy, notoriety, and loss?”
The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How could Venerable Thullanandā, knowing that a nun had committed an offense entailing expulsion, neither confront her herself nor tell a group of nuns?”
2Then those nuns told the monks what had happened, and the monks in turn told the Buddha.
Soon afterwards the Buddha had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks:
“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā acted like this?”
“It’s true, Sir.”
The Buddha rebuked her …
“How could the nun Thullanandā, knowing that a nun had committed an offense entailing expulsion, neither confront her herself nor tell a group of nuns? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
3‘If a nun knows that a nun has committed an offense entailing expulsion, but she neither confronts her herself nor tells a group of nuns, and afterward—whether that nun remains or has died or has been expelled or has converted—she says, “Venerables, although I previously knew that this nun was like this, I thought, ‘I will neither confront her myself nor tell a group of nuns,’” she too is expelled and excluded from the community. The training rule on those who conceal offenses.’”
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.
5Knows: she knows by herself or others have told her or she has told her.
6Has committed an offense entailing expulsion: she has committed any one of the eight offenses entailing expulsion.
7She neither confronts her herself: she does not herself accuse her.
8Nor tells a group of nuns: she does not tell other nuns.
9Whether that nun remains or has died: Remains: what is meant is that she remains as a nun. Has died: what is meant is that she has passed away. Has been expelled: she has either disrobed herself or been expelled by others. Has converted: what is meant is that she has joined another religious community.
10Afterward she says, “Venerables, although I previously knew that this nun was like this, I thought, ‘I will neither confront her myself’”: “I won’t accuse her myself.”
11“Nor tell a group of nuns”: “Nor tell other nuns.”
12She too: this is said with reference to the preceding offenses entailing expulsion.
13Is expelled: just as a fallen, withered leaf is incapable of becoming green again, so is a nun who knows that a nun has committed an offense entailing expulsion, but who thinks, “I will neither confront her myself nor tell a group of nuns,” by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, not a monastic, not a daughter of the Sakyan. Therefore it is said “she is expelled”.
14Excluded from the community: Community: joint legal procedures, a joint recitation, the same training—this is called “community”. She does not take part in this—therefore it is called “excluded from the community”.
Non-offenses
15There is no offense: if she does not tell because she thinks there will be quarrels or disputes in the Sangha; if she does not tell because she thinks there will be a schism or fracture in the Sangha; if she does not tell because she thinks the person she is telling about is cruel and harsh and that she might become a threat to life or the monastic life; if she does not tell because she does not see any suitable nuns; if she does not tell, but not because she wants to conceal; if she does not tell because she thinks the other person will be known through her own actions; if she is insane; if she is deranged; if she is overwhelmed by pain; if she is the first offender.
16The sixth offense entailing expulsion is finished.
1p_2V_2139, msdiv664 Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena sundarīnandā bhikkhunī sāḷhena migāranattunā gabbhinī hoti. Yāva gabbho taruṇo ahosi tāva chādesi. Paripakke gabbhe vibbhamitvā vijāyi. Bhikkhunīyo thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ: “sundarīnandā kho, ayye, aciravibbhantā vijātā. Kacci no sā bhikkhunīyeva samānā gabbhinī”ti?
“Evaṁ, ayye”ti.
“Kissa pana tvaṁ, ayye, jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodesi na gaṇassa ārocesī”ti?
“Yo etissā avaṇṇo mayheso avaṇṇo, yā etissā akitti mayhesā akitti, yo etissā ayaso mayheso ayaso, yo etissā alābho mayheso alābho. Kyāhaṁ, ayye, attano avaṇṇaṁ attano akittiṁ attano ayasaṁ attano alābhaṁ paresaṁ ārocessāmī”ti? Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā … pe … tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: “Kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodessati na gaṇassa ārocessatī”ti.
2p_2V_2140 Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ. Bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.
Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe bhikkhusaṁghaṁ sannipātāpetvā bhikkhū paṭipucchi:
“Saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodeti na gaṇassa ārocetī”ti?
“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe …
Kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodessati na gaṇassa ārocessati. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
3p_2V_2141, msdiv665“Yā pana bhikkhunī jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodeyya na gaṇassa āroceyya, yadā ca sā ṭhitā vā assa cutā vā nāsitā vā avassaṭā vā, sā pacchā evaṁ vadeyya— ‘pubbevāhaṁ, ayye, aññāsiṁ etaṁ bhikkhuniṁ evarūpā ca evarūpā ca sā bhaginīti, no ca kho attanā paṭicodessaṁ na gaṇassa ārocessan’ti, ayampi parajika hoti asaṁvāsā vajjappaṭicchādikā” ti.
4p_2V_2142, msdiv666Yā panā'ti yā yādisā … pe … Bhikkhunī'ti … pe … ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.
5p_2V_2143Jānāti nāma sāmaṁ vā jānāti, aññe vā tassā ārocenti, sā vā āroceti.
6p_2V_2144Pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannan'ti aṭṭhannaṁ parajikanaṁ aññataraṁ pārājikaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ.
7p_2V_2145Nevattanā paṭicodeyyā'ti na sayaṁ codeyya.
8p_2V_2146Na gaṇassa āroceyyā'ti na aññāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ āroceyya.
9p_2V_2147Yadā ca sā ṭhitā vā assa cutā vā'ti ṭhitā nāma saliṅge ṭhitā vuccati. Cutā nāma kālaṅkatā vuccati. Nāsitā nāma sayaṁ vā vibbhantā hoti aññehi vā nāsitā. Avassaṭā nāma titthāyatanaṁ saṅkantā vuccati.
10p_2V_2148Sā pacchā evaṁ vadeyya— “pubbevāhaṁ, ayye, aññāsiṁ etaṁ bhikkhuniṁ evarūpā ca evarūpā ca sā bhaginī”ti. No ca kho attanā paṭicodessan'ti sayaṁ vā na codessaṁ.
11p_2V_2149Na gaṇassa ārocessan'ti na aññāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ ārocessaṁ.
12p_2V_2150Ayampī'ti purimāyo upādāya vuccati.
13p_2V_2151Parajika hotī'ti seyyathāpi nāma paṇḍupalāso bandhanā pamutto abhabbo haritatthāya, evameva bhikkhunī jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodessāmi na gaṇassa ārocessāmīti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte assamaṇī hoti asakyadhītā. Tena vuccati parajika hotīti.
14p_2V_2152Asaṁvāsā'ti saṁvāso nāma ekakammaṁ ekuddeso samasikkhatā. Eso saṁvāso nāma. So tāya saddhiṁ natthi. Tena vuccati asaṁvāsāti.
15p_2V_2153, msdiv667 Anāpatti— “saṁghassa bhaṇḍanaṁ vā kalaho vā viggaho vā vivādo vā bhavissatī”ti nāroceti: “saṁghabhedo vā saṁgharāji vā bhavissatī”ti nāroceti: “Ayaṁ kakkhaḷā pharusā jīvitantarāyaṁ vā brahmacariyantarāyaṁ vā karissatī”ti nāroceti, aññā patirūpā bhikkhuniyo apassantī nāroceti, nacchādetukāmā nāroceti, paññāyissati sakena kammenāti nāroceti, ummattikāya … pe … ādikammikāyāti.
16p_2V_2154Dutiyapārājikaṁ samattaṁ.