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Theravāda Vinaya
Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law
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Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
The Nuns’ Analysis
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Pārājikakaṇḍa
The chapter on offenses entailing expulsion
6. Vajjappaṭicchādikāsikkhāpada
The training rule on those who conceal offenses
Origin story
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.
Tena kho pana samayena sundarīnandā bhikkhunī sāḷhena migāranattunā gabbhinī hoti.
At that time the nun Sundarīnandā was pregnant by Migāra’s grandson Sāḷha.
Yāva gabbho taruṇo ahosi tāva chādesi.
When the fetus got large, she concealed her condition.
Paripakke gabbhe vibbhamitvā vijāyi.
And when the fetus was fully grown, she disrobed and gave birth.
Bhikkhuniyo thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ—
The nuns said to the nun Thullanandā,
“sundarīnandā kho, ayye, aciravibbhantā vijātā.
“Venerable, Sundarīnandā gave birth shortly after disrobing.”
Kacci no sā bhikkhunīyeva samānā gabbhinī”ti?
“Could it be that she was pregnant while she was still a nun?”
“Evaṁ, ayye”ti.
“Yes, Venerables.”
“Kissa pana tvaṁ, ayye, jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodesi na gaṇassa ārocesī”ti?
“But, Venerable, when you knew that a nun had committed an offense entailing expulsion, why didn’t you either confront her yourself or tell the community?”
“Yo etissā avaṇṇo mayheso avaṇṇo, yā etissā akitti mayhesā akitti, yo etissā ayaso mayheso ayaso, yo etissā alābho mayheso alābho.
“Her disrepute is my disrepute, her infamy is my infamy, her notoriety is my notoriety, her loss is my loss.
Kyāhaṁ, ayye, attano avaṇṇaṁ attano akittiṁ attano ayasaṁ attano alābhaṁ paresaṁ ārocessāmī”ti?
Why would I tell others of my own disrepute, infamy, notoriety, and loss?”
Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—
The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,
“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodessati na gaṇassa ārocessatī”ti.
“How could Venerable Thullanandā, knowing that a nun had committed an offense entailing expulsion, neither confront her herself nor tell the community?”
Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.
Then those nuns told the monks what had happened,
Bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.
and the monks in turn told the Buddha.
Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe bhikkhusaṅghaṁ sannipātāpetvā bhikkhū paṭipucchi—
Soon afterwards the Buddha had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks:
“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodeti na gaṇassa ārocetī”ti?
“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā acted like this?”
“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
“It’s true, Sir.”
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…
The Buddha rebuked her …
kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodessati na gaṇassa ārocessati.
“How could the nun Thullanandā, knowing that a nun had committed an offense entailing expulsion, neither confront her herself nor tell the community?
Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…
This will affect people’s confidence …” …
evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
“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 pārājikā hoti asaṁvāsā vajjappaṭicchādikā”ti.
‘If a nun knows that a nun has committed an offense entailing expulsion, but she neither confronts her herself nor tells the community, 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 the community,’” she too is expelled and excluded from the community. The training rule on those who conceal offenses.’”
Definitions
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Yā panāti
A:
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yā yādisā …pe…
whoever …
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bhikkhunīti
Nun:
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…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.
… 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.
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Jānāti nāma
Knows:
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sāmaṁ vā jānāti, aññe vā tassā ārocenti, sā vā āroceti.
she knows by herself or others have told her or she has told her.
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Pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannanti
Has committed an offense entailing expulsion:
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aṭṭhannaṁ pārājikānaṁ aññataraṁ pārājikaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ.
she has committed any one of the eight offenses entailing expulsion.
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Nevattanā paṭicodeyyāti
She neither confronts her herself:
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na sayaṁ codeyya.
she does not herself accuse her.
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Na gaṇassa āroceyyāti
Nor tells the community:
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na aññāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ āroceyya.
she does not tell other nuns.
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Yadā ca sā ṭhitā vā assa cutā vāti
Whether that nun remains or has died:
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ṭhitā nāma saliṅge ṭhitā vuccati.
Remains: what is meant is that she remains as a nun.
Cutā nāma kālaṅkatā vuccati. Has died: what is meant is that she has passed away.
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Nāsitā nāma
Has been expelled:
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sayaṁ vā vibbhantā hoti aññehi vā nāsitā.
she has either disrobed herself or been expelled by others.
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Avassaṭā nāma
Has converted:
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titthāyatanaṁ saṅkantā vuccati.
what is meant is that she has joined another religious community.
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Sā pacchā evaṁ vadeyya— “pubbevāhaṁ, ayye, aññāsiṁ etaṁ bhikkhuniṁ evarūpā ca evarūpā ca sā bhaginī”ti. No ca kho attanā paṭicodessanti
Afterward she says, “Venerables, although I previously knew that this nun was like this, I thought, ‘I will neither confront her myself’”:
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sayaṁ vā na codessaṁ.
“I won’t accuse her myself.”
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Na gaṇassa ārocessanti
“Nor tell the community”:
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na aññāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ ārocessaṁ.
“Nor tell other nuns.”
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Ayampīti
She too:
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purimāyo upādāya vuccati.
this is said with reference to the preceding offenses entailing expulsion.
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Pārājikā hotīti
Is expelled:
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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 pārājikā hotīti.
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 the community,” by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, not a monastic, not a daughter of the Sakyan. Therefore it is said “she is expelled.”
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Asaṁvāsāti
Excluded from the community:
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saṁvāso nāma ekakammaṁ ekuddeso samasikkhatā. Eso saṁvāso nāma.
Community: joint legal procedures, a joint recitation, the same training—this is called “community”.
So tāya saddhiṁ natthi. Tena vuccati asaṁvāsāti. She does not take part in this—therefore it is called “excluded from the community”.
Non-offenses
Anāpatti—
There is no offense:
“saṅghassa bhaṇḍanaṁ vā kalaho vā viggaho vā vivādo vā bhavissatī”ti nāroceti,
if she does not tell because she thinks there will be quarrels or disputes in the Sangha;
“saṅghabhedo vā saṅgharāji vā bhavissatī”ti nāroceti,
if she does not tell because she thinks there will be a schism or fracture in the Sangha;
“ayaṁ kakkhaḷā pharusā jīvitantarāyaṁ vā brahmacariyantarāyaṁ vā karissatī”ti nāroceti,
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;
aññā patirūpā bhikkhuniyo apassantī nāroceti,
if she does not tell because she does not see any suitable nuns;
nacchādetukāmā nāroceti,
if she does not tell, but not because she wants to conceal;
paññāyissati sakena kammenāti nāroceti,
if she does not tell because she thinks the other person will be known through her own actions;
ummattikāya
if she is insane;
…pe…
if she is deranged;
if she is overwhelmed by pain;
ādikammikāyāti.
if she is the first offender.
Dutiyapārājikaṁ samattaṁ.
The sixth offense entailing expulsion is finished.
