Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga - Saṅghādisesa 12: Not Desisting with Bad Behaviour in the Company of Other Badly Behaved Bhikkhunīs.
- 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 who were the pupils of the nun Thullanandā were socializing and behaving badly, had a bad reputation, and were harassing the Sangha of nuns and hiding each other’s offenses.
2The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can nuns behave in this way?” … “Is it true, monks, that nuns are behaving like this?”
“It’s true, Sir.”
The Buddha rebuked them … “How can nuns behave in this way? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
3‘If nuns socialize, behave badly, have a bad reputation, are notorious, harass the Sangha of nuns, and hide each other’s offenses, then the nuns should correct them like this: “Sisters, you socialize, behave badly, have a bad reputation, are notorious, harass the Sangha of nuns, and hide each other’s offenses. Be secluded, Venerables. The Sangha praises seclusion for the Sisters.” If those nuns still continue as before, the nuns should press them up to three times to make them stop. If they then stop, all is well. If they do not stop, then after the third announcement those nuns too have committed an offense entailing sending away and suspension.’”
Definitions
4Nuns: what is meant is that they are fully ordained.
5Socialize: they socialize with improper bodily and verbal action.
6Behave badly: having bad behavior.
7Have a bad reputation: a bad reputation has spread about them.
8Are notorious: they make a living by means of a bad and wrong livelihood.
9Harass the Sangha of nuns: they object on each other’s behalf when a legal procedure is being carried out against them.
10Hide each other’s offenses: they hide one another’s offenses.
11Them: those nuns who socialize.
12The nuns:
13Other nuns who see it or hear about it. They should correct them like this:
“Sisters, you socialize, behave badly, have a bad reputation, are notorious, harass the Sangha of nuns, and hide each other’s offenses. Be secluded, Venerables. The Sangha praises seclusion for the Sisters.”
And they should correct them a second and a third time. If they stop, all is well. If they do not stop, they commit an offense of wrong conduct. If those who heard about it do not say anything, they commit an offense of wrong conduct.
Those nuns, even if they have to be pulled into the Sangha, should be corrected like this:
“Sisters, you socialize, behave badly, have a bad reputation, are notorious, harass the Sangha of nuns, and hide each other’s offenses. Be secluded, Venerables. The Sangha praises seclusion for the Sisters.”
They should correct them a second and a third time. If they stop, all is well. If they do not stop, they commit an offense of wrong conduct.
“And, monks, they should be pressed like this. A competent and capable nun should inform the Sangha:
14‘Please, Venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The nuns so-and-so and so-and-so socialize, behave badly, have a bad reputation, are notorious, harass the Sangha of nuns, and hide each other’s offenses. And they keep on doing it. If it seems appropriate to the Sangha, the Sangha should press them to make them stop. This is the motion.
15Please, Venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The nuns so-and-so and so-and-so socialize, behave badly, have a bad reputation, are notorious, harass the Sangha of nuns, and hide each other’s offenses. And they keep on doing it. The Sangha presses them to make them stop. Any nun who approves of pressing the nuns so-and-so and so-and-so to make them stop should remain silent. Any nun who doesn’t approve should speak up.
16For the second time I speak on this matter … For the third time I speak on this matter …
17The Sangha has pressed the nuns so-and-so and so-and-so to stop. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I’ll remember it thus.’”
18After the motion, they commit an offense of wrong conduct. After each of the first two announcements, they commit a serious offense. When the last announcement is finished, they commit an offense entailing suspension. If they commit the offense entailing suspension, the offense of wrong conduct and the serious offenses are annulled. Two or three may be pressed together, but not more than that.
19Those nuns too: this is said with reference to the preceding offenses.
20After the third announcement: there is an offense when they have been pressed for the third time, not as soon as the misconduct has been committed.
21Entailing sending away: they are sent away from the Sangha.
22Suspension: … Therefore, too, it is called an offense entailing suspension.
Permutations
23If it is a legitimate legal procedure, and they perceive it as such, and they do not stop, they commit an offense entailing suspension. If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but they are unsure of it, and they do not stop, they commit an offense entailing suspension. If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but they perceive it as illegitimate, and they do not stop, they commit an offense entailing suspension.
24If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, but they perceive it as legitimate, they commit an offense of wrong conduct. If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, but they are unsure of it, they commit an offense of wrong conduct. If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, and they perceive it as such, they commit an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
25There is no offense: if they have not been pressed; if they stop; if they are insane; if they are the first offenders.
26The twelfth offense entailing suspension is finished.
1p_2V_2368, msdiv721Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā antevāsikā bhikkhuniyo saṁsaṭṭhā viharanti pāpācārā pāpasaddā pāpasilokā, bhikkhunisaṁghassa vihesikā, aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā.
2p_2V_2369Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā … pe … tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: “Kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo saṁsaṭṭhā viharissanti pāpācārā pāpasaddā pāpasilokā bhikkhunisaṁghassa vihesikā aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā”ti … pe … “Saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo saṁsaṭṭhā viharanti pāpācārā pāpasaddā pāpasilokā bhikkhunisaṁghassa vihesikā aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā”ti?
“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo saṁsaṭṭhā viharissanti pāpācārā pāpasaddā pāpasilokā, bhikkhunisaṁghassa vihesikā, aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
3p_2V_2370, msdiv722“Bhikkhunīyo paneva saṁsaṭṭhā viharanti pāpācārā pāpasaddā pāpasilokā, bhikkhunisaṁghassa vihesikā, aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā. Tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhunīhi evamassu vacanīyā— ‘bhaginiyo kho saṁsaṭṭhā viharanti pāpācārā pāpasaddā pāpasilokā, bhikkhunisaṁghassa vihesikā aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā. Viviccathāyye. Vivekaññeva bhaginīnaṁ saṁgho vaṇṇetī’ti. Evañca tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhunīhi vuccamānā tatheva paggaṇheyyuṁ, tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhunīhi yāvatatiyaṁ samanubhāsitabbā tassa paṭinissaggāya. Yāvatatiyañce samanubhāsīyamānā taṁ paṭinissajjeyyuṁ, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ; no ce paṭinissajjeyyuṁ, imāpi bhikkhuniyo yāvatatiyakaṁ dhammaṁ āpannā nissāraṇīyaṁ saṁghādisesan”ti. (12:20)
4p_2V_2371, msdiv723Bhikkhunīyo panevā'ti upasampannāyo vuccanti.
5p_2V_2372Saṁsaṭṭhā viharantī'ti saṁsaṭṭhā nāma ananulomikena kāyikavācasikena saṁsaṭṭhā viharanti.
6p_2V_2373Pāpācārā'ti pāpakena ācārena samannāgatā.
7p_2V_2374Pāpasaddā'ti pāpakena kittisaddena abbhuggatā.
8p_2V_2375Pāpasilokā'ti pāpakena micchājīvena jīvitaṁ kappenti.
9p_2V_2376Bhikkhunīsaṁghassa vihesikā'ti aññamaññissā kamme karīyamāne paṭikkosanti.
10p_2V_2377Aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā'ti aññamaññaṁ vajjaṁ paṭicchādenti.
11p_2V_2378Tā bhikkhuniyo'ti yā tā saṁsaṭṭhā bhikkhuniyo.
12p_2V_2379Bhikkhunīhī'ti aññāhi bhikkhunīhi.
13p_2V_2380Yā passanti yā suṇanti tāhi vattabbā—
“Bhaginiyo kho saṁsaṭṭhā viharanti pāpācārā pāpasaddā pāpasilokā, bhikkhunisaṁghassa vihesikā, aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā. Viviccathāyye. Vivekaññeva bhaginīnaṁ saṁgho vaṇṇetī”ti.
Dutiyampi vattabbā. Tatiyampi vattabbā. Sace paṭinissajjanti, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ; no ce paṭinissajjanti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Sutvā na vadanti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
Tā bhikkhuniyo saṁghamajjhampi ākaḍḍhitvā vattabbā—
“Bhaginiyo kho saṁsaṭṭhā viharanti pāpācārā pāpasaddā pāpasilokā, bhikkhunisaṁghassa vihesikā, aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā. Viviccathāyye. Vivekaññeva bhaginīnaṁ saṁgho vaṇṇetī”ti.
Dutiyampi vattabbā. Tatiyampi vattabbā. Sace paṭinissajjanti, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ; no ce paṭinissajjanti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
Tā bhikkhuniyo samanubhāsitabbā. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, samanubhāsitabbā. Byattāya bhikkhuniyā paṭibalāya saṁgho ñāpetabbo—
14p_2V_2381, msdiv724“Suṇātu me, ayye, saṁgho. Itthannāmā ca itthannāmā ca bhikkhuniyo saṁsaṭṭhā viharanti pāpācārā pāpasaddā pāpasilokā, bhikkhunisaṁghassa vihesikā, aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā. Tā taṁ vatthuṁ na paṭinissajjanti. Yadi saṁghassa pattakallaṁ, saṁgho itthannāmañca itthannāmañca bhikkhuniyo samanubhāseyya tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya. Esā ñatti.
15p_2V_2382Suṇātu me, ayye, saṁgho. Itthannāmā ca itthannāmā ca bhikkhuniyo saṁsaṭṭhā viharanti pāpācārā pāpasaddā pāpasilokā, bhikkhunisaṁghassa vihesikā, aññamaññissā vajjappaṭicchādikā. Tā taṁ vatthuṁ na paṭinissajjanti. Saṁgho itthannāmañca itthannāmañca bhikkhuniyo samanubhāsati tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya. Yassā ayyāya khamati itthannāmāya ca itthannāmāya ca bhikkhunīnaṁ samanubhāsanā tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya, sā tuṇhassa; yassā nakkhamati, sā bhāseyya.
16p_2V_2383Dutiyampi etamatthaṁ vadāmi … pe … tatiyampi etamatthaṁ vadāmi … pe … .
17p_2V_2384Samanubhaṭṭhā saṁghena, itthannāmā ca itthannāmā ca bhikkhuniyo tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya. Khamati saṁghassa, tasmā tuṇhī, evametaṁ dhārayāmī”ti.
18p_2V_2385Ñattiyā dukkaṭaṁ, dvīhi kammavācāhi thullaccayā, kammavācāpariyosāne āpatti saṁghādisesassa. Saṁghādisesaṁ ajjhāpajjantīnaṁ ñattiyā dukkaṭaṁ dvīhi kammavācāhi thullaccayā paṭippassambhanti. Dve tisso ekato samanubhāsitabbā. Tatuttari na samanubhāsitabbā.
19p_2V_2386Imāpi bhikkhuniyo'ti purimāyo upādāya vuccanti.
20p_2V_2387Yāvatatiyakan'ti yāvatatiyaṁ samanubhāsanāya āpajjanti, na saha vatthujjhācārā.
21p_2V_2388Nissāraṇīyan'ti saṁghamhā nissārīyati.
22p_2V_2389Saṁghādiseso'ti … pe … tenapi vuccati saṁghādisesoti.
23p_2V_2390, msdiv725Dhammakamme dhammakammasaññā na paṭinissajjanti, āpatti saṁghādisesassa. Dhammakamme vematikā na paṭinissajjanti, āpatti saṁghādisesassa. Dhammakamme adhammakammasaññā na paṭinissajjanti, āpatti saṁghādisesassa.
24p_2V_2391Adhammakamme dhammakammasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Adhammakamme vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Adhammakamme adhammakammasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
ḍ
25p_2V_2392, msdiv726Anāpatti— asamanubhāsantīnaṁ, paṭinissajjantīnaṁ, ummattikānaṁ, ādikammikānanti.
26p_2V_2393Navamasaṁghādisesasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.