Tripiṭaka Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
The Nuns’ Analysis
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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 thullanandā bhikkhunī aññatarāya bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattetvā paribhuñji.
At that time the nun Thullanandā was using a robe she had received after trading with another nun.
Atha kho sā bhikkhunī taṁ cīvaraṁ saṅgharitvā nikkhipi.
But the other nun folded up the robe she had received and put it aside.
“yaṁ te, ayye, mayā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattitaṁ, kahaṁ taṁ cīvaran”ti?
“Venerable, where’s that robe that I traded with you?”
Atha kho sā bhikkhunī taṁ cīvaraṁ nīharitvā thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā dassesi.
She brought out the robe and showed it to her,
“handāyye, tuyhaṁ cīvaraṁ, āhara metaṁ cīvaraṁ, yaṁ tuyhaṁ tuyhamevetaṁ, yaṁ mayhaṁ mayhamevetaṁ, āhara metaṁ, sakaṁ paccāharā”ti acchindi.
“Here’s your robe and give me that robe of mine. That which is yours is yours and that which is mine is mine. Give me that and take back what’s yours.” And she just took it.
Atha kho sā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.
That nun then told the nuns what had happened.
Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—
The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,
“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindissatī”ti.
“How could Venerable Thullanandā trade a robe with a nun and then take it back?”
Bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe…
who in turn told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks:
“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindatī”ti?
“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”
kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindissati.
“How could the nun Thullanandā trade a robe with a nun and then take it back?
evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
“Yā pana bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattetvā sā pacchā evaṁ vadeyya—‘handāyye, tuyhaṁ cīvaraṁ āhara, metaṁ cīvaraṁ, yaṁ tuyhaṁ tuyhamevetaṁ, yaṁ mayhaṁ mayhamevetaṁ, āhara metaṁ, sakaṁ paccāharā’ti acchindeyya vā acchindāpeyya vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.
‘If a nun trades robes with a nun and then says, “Here’s your robe; give me that robe of mine. That which is yours is yours, and that which is mine is mine. Give me that, and take back what’s yours;” and she just takes it or has it taken, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”
…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.
channaṁ cīvarānaṁ aññataraṁ cīvaraṁ vikappanupagaṁ pacchimaṁ.
one of the six kinds of robe-cloth, but not smaller than what can be assigned to another.
sayaṁ acchindati nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
if she just takes it herself, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
aññaṁ āṇāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
if she asks another, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Sakiṁ āṇattā bahukampi acchindati, nissaggiyaṁ hoti.
If she only asks once, then even if the other takes back many, it becomes subject to relinquishment.
Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā ekabhikkhuniyā vā.
The robe-cloth should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual nun.
…pe…
(To be expanded as in <a href='https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bi-vb-np1/en/brahmali#2.1.21'>Bi Np 1:2.1.21</a>–Bi Np 1:2.1.43, with appropriate substitutions.)
“idaṁ me, ayye, cīvaraṁ bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ parivattetvā acchinnaṁ nissaggiyaṁ, imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe…
… ‘Venerables, this robe-cloth, which I took back after trading it with a nun, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’ …
Upasampannāya upasampannasaññā cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
If the other person is fully ordained and she perceives her as such, and after trading robe-cloth with her she takes it back or has it taken back, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
Upasampannāya vematikā cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
If the other person is fully ordained, but she is unsure of it, and after trading robe-cloth with her she takes it back or has it taken back, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
Upasampannāya anupasampannasaññā cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
If the other person is fully ordained, but she does not perceive her as such, and after trading robe-cloth with her she takes it back or has it taken back, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
Aññaṁ parikkhāraṁ parivattetvā acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If she trades another requisite, and then takes it back or has it taken back, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Anupasampannāya saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ vā aññaṁ vā parikkhāraṁ parivattetvā acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If she trades robe-cloth or another requisite with someone who is not fully ordained, and then takes it back or has it taken back, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Anupasampannāya upasampannasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If the other person is not fully ordained, but she perceives her as such, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Anupasampannāya vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If the other person is not fully ordained, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Anupasampannāya anupasampannasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If the other person is not fully ordained, and she does not perceive her as such, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.