Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga - Saṅghādisesa 4: Without Permission of the Saṅgha, Restoring a Suspended Bhikkhunī.
- 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 Caṇḍakāḷī was quarrelsome and argumentative, and she created legal issues in the Sangha. But when a legal procedure was being done against her, the nun Thullanandā objected.
Soon afterwards Thullanandā went to a village on some business. The Sangha of nuns took the opportunity to eject Caṇḍakāḷī for not recognizing an offense. When Thullanandā had finished her business in that village, she returned to Sāvatthī. On her return, Caṇḍakāḷī neither prepared a seat for her, nor set out a foot stool, a foot scraper, or water for washing the feet; and she did not go out to meet her to receive her bowl and robe, nor ask whether she wanted water to drink.
Thullanandā asked her why she was acting like this.
She replied, “That’s how it is, Venerable, when you don’t have a protector.”
“But how is it, Venerable, that you don’t have a protector?”
“When the nuns knew that no one would speak up for me because I am not esteemed by them and I didn’t have a protector, they ejected me for not recognizing an offense.”
2“They are incompetent fools. They don’t know about legal procedures or their flaws, nor what makes them fail or succeed. But we know all these things. We can get legal procedures done that haven’t been done, and we can get procedures that have been done overturned.” And she quickly gathered a saṅgha of nuns and reinstated the nun Caṇḍakāḷī.
3The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her:
“How could Venerable Thullanandā reinstate a nun who had been ejected by a unanimous Sangha in accordance with the Teaching, the Monastic Law, and the Teacher’s instruction, without first getting permission from the Sangha that did the legal procedure and without the consent of the group?” …
“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”
“It’s true, Sir.”
The Buddha rebuked her …
“How could the nun Thullanandā reinstate a nun who had been ejected by a unanimous Sangha in accordance with the Teaching, the Monastic Law, and the Teacher’s instruction, without first getting permission from the Sangha that did the legal procedure and without the consent of the group? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
4‘If a nun, without getting permission from the Sangha that did the legal procedure and without the consent of the group, reinstates a nun who has been ejected by a unanimous Sangha in accordance with the Teaching and the Monastic Law and the Teacher’s instruction, then that nun too has committed an immediate offense entailing sending away and suspension.’”
Definitions
5A: 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.
6A unanimous Sangha: those belonging to the same Buddhist sect and staying within the same monastery zone.
7Who has been ejected: who has been ejected for not recognizing an offense, for not making amends, or for not giving up a bad view.
8In accordance with the teaching and the Monastic Law: in accordance with that teaching, in accordance with that Monastic Law.
9In accordance with the Teacher’s instruction: in accordance with the Victor’s instruction, in accordance with the Buddha’s instruction.
10Without getting permission from the Sangha that did the legal procedure: without having asked permission of the Sangha that did the legal procedure of ejection.
11Without the consent of the group: without being aware of any consent from the group.
12If, intending to reinstate her, she searches for a group or establishes a monastery zone, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. After the motion, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. After each of the first two announcements, she commits a serious offense. When the last announcement is finished, she commits an offense entailing suspension.
13That too: this is said with reference to the preceding offenses.
14An immediate offense: there is an offense as soon as the misconduct is committed, and no pressing is required.
15Entailing sending away: she is sent away from the Sangha.
16Suspension: … Therefore, too, it is called an offense entailing suspension.
Permutations
17If it is a legitimate legal procedure, and she perceives it as such, and she reinstates her, she commits an offense entailing suspension. If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but she is unsure of it, and she reinstates her, she commits an offense entailing suspension. If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but she perceives it as illegitimate, and she reinstates her, she commits an offense entailing suspension.
18If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, but she perceives it as legitimate, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, and she perceives it as such, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
19There is no offense: if she reinstates her after getting permission from the Sangha that did the procedure; if she reinstates her with the consent of the group; if she reinstates one who is behaving properly; if she reinstates her when the Sangha that did the procedure is unavailable; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
20The fourth offense entailing suspension is finished.
1p_2V_2272, msdiv694Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena caṇḍakāḷī bhikkhunī bhaṇḍanakārikā hoti kalahakārikā vivādakārikā bhassakārikā saṁghe adhikaraṇakārikā. Thullanandā bhikkhunī tassā kamme karīyamāne paṭikkosati.
Tena kho pana samayena thullanandā bhikkhunī gāmakaṁ agamāsi kenacideva karaṇīyena. Atha kho bhikkhunisaṁgho— “thullanandā bhikkhunī pakkantā”ti, caṇḍakāḷiṁ bhikkhuniṁ āpattiyā adassane ukkhipi. Thullanandā bhikkhunī gāmake taṁ karaṇīyaṁ tīretvā punadeva sāvatthiṁ paccāgacchi. Caṇḍakāḷī bhikkhunī thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā āgacchantiyā neva āsanaṁ paññapesi na pādodakaṁ pādapīṭhaṁ pādakaṭhalikaṁ upanikkhipi na paccuggantvā pattacīvaraṁ paṭiggahesi na pānīyena āpucchi.
Thullanandā bhikkhunī caṇḍakāḷiṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca: “Kissa tvaṁ, ayye, mayi āgacchantiyā neva āsanaṁ paññapesi na pādodakaṁ pādapīṭhaṁ pādakaṭhalikaṁ upanikkhipi na paccuggantvā pattacīvaraṁ paṭiggahesi na pānīyena āpucchī”ti?
“Evañhetaṁ, ayye, hoti yathā taṁ anāthāyā”ti.
“Kissa pana tvaṁ, ayye, anāthā”ti?
“Imā maṁ, ayye, bhikkhuniyo— ‘Ayaṁ anāthā appaññātā, natthi imissā kāci paṭivattā’ti, āpattiyā adassane ukkhipiṁsū”ti.
2p_2V_2273Thullanandā bhikkhunī— “bālā etā abyattā etā, neva jānanti kammaṁ vā kammadosaṁ vā kammavipattiṁ vā kammasampattiṁ vā. Mayaṁ kho jānāma kammampi kammadosampi kammavipattimpi kammasampattimpi. Mayaṁ kho akataṁ vā kammaṁ kāreyyāma kataṁ vā kammaṁ kopeyyāmā”ti, lahuṁ lahuṁ bhikkhunisaṁghaṁ sannipātetvā caṇḍakāḷiṁ bhikkhuniṁ
3p_2V_2274Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā … pe … tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti:
“Kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā samaggena saṁghena ukkhittaṁ bhikkhuniṁ dhammena vinayena satthusāsanena anapaloketvā kārakasaṁghaṁ anaññāya gaṇassa chandaṁ osāressatī”ti … pe …
“Saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī samaggena saṁghena ukkhittaṁ bhikkhuniṁ dhammena vinayena satthusāsanena anapaloketvā kārakasaṁghaṁ anaññāya gaṇassa chandaṁ osāretī”ti?
"Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe …
Kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī samaggena saṁghena ukkhittaṁ bhikkhuniṁ dhammena vinayena satthusāsanena anapaloketvā kārakasaṁghaṁ anaññāya gaṇassa chandaṁ osāressati. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
4p_2V_2275, msdiv695“Yā pana bhikkhunī samaggena saṁghena ukkhittaṁ bhikkhuniṁ dhammena vinayena satthusāsanena anapaloketvā kārakasaṁghaṁ anaññāya gaṇassa chandaṁ osāreyya, ayampi bhikkhunī paṭhamāpattikaṁ dhammaṁ āpannā nissāraṇīyaṁ saṁghādisesan”ti. (4:12)
5p_2V_2276, msdiv696Yā panā'ti yā yādisā … pe … bhikkhunī'ti … pe … ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.
6p_2V_2277Samaggo nāma saṁgho samānasaṁvāsako samānasīmāyaṁ ṭhito.
7p_2V_2278Ukkhittā nāma āpattiyā adassane vā appaṭikamme vā appaṭinissagge vā ukkhittā.
8p_2V_2279Dhammena vinayenā'ti yena dhammena yena vinayena.
9p_2V_2280Satthusāsanenā'ti jinasāsanena buddhasāsanena.
10p_2V_2281Anapaloketvā kārakasaṁghan'ti kammakārakasaṁghaṁ anāpucchā.
11p_2V_2282Anaññāya gaṇassa chandan'ti gaṇassa chandaṁ ajānitvā.
12p_2V_2283“Osāressāmī”ti gaṇaṁ vā pariyesati, sīmaṁ vā sammannati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ñattiyā dukkaṭaṁ, dvīhi kammavācāhi thullaccayā, kammavācāpariyosāne āpatti saṁghādisesassa.
13p_2V_2284Ayampī'ti purimāyo upādāya vuccati.
14p_2V_2285Paṭhamāpattikan'ti saha vatthujjhācārā āpajjati asamanubhāsanāya.
15p_2V_2286Nissāraṇīyan'ti saṁghamhā nissārīyati.
16p_2V_2287Saṁghādiseso'ti … pe … tenapi vuccati saṁghādisesoti.
17p_2V_2288, msdiv697Dhammakamme dhammakammasaññā osāreti, āpatti saṁghādisesassa. Dhammakamme vematikā osāreti āpatti saṁghādisesassa. Dhammakamme adhammakammasaññā osāreti, āpatti saṁghādisesassa.
18p_2V_2289Adhammakamme dhammakammasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Adhammakamme vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Adhammakamme adhammakammasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
19p_2V_2290, msdiv698Anāpatti— kammakārakasaṁghaṁ apaloketvā osāreti, gaṇassa chandaṁ jānitvā osāreti, vatte vattantiṁ osāreti, asante kammakārakasaṁghe osāreti, ummattikāya, ādikammikāyāti.
20p_2V_2291Catutthasaṁghādisesasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.