Tripiṭaka Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
The Nuns’ Analysis
Tip — double-click any Pāli word to look it up in the dictionary.
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 chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpetvā aciravatiyā nadiyā vesiyāhi saddhiṁ naggā ekatitthe nahāyanti.
At that time the nuns from the group of six removed the hair from their private parts. They then bathed naked at a ford in the river Aciravatī together with sex workers.
“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpessanti, seyyathāpi gihiniyo kāmabhoginiyo”ti.
“How can the nuns remove the hair from their private parts? They’re just like householders who indulge in worldly pleasures!”
Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tāsaṁ vesiyānaṁ ujjhāyantīnaṁ khiyyantīnaṁ vipācentīnaṁ.
The nuns heard the complaints of those sex workers,
Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—
and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized them,
“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpessantī”ti …pe…
“How can the nuns from the group of six remove the hair from their private parts?” …
“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpentī”ti?
“Is it true, monks, that those nuns do that?”
kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpessanti.
“How can the nuns from the group of six do that?
evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
“Yā pana bhikkhunī sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpeyya, pācittiyan”ti.
‘If a nun removes hair from her private parts, she commits an offense entailing 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.
ekampi lomaṁ saṁharāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.
if she removes one hair, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Bahukepi lome saṁharāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.
Even if she removes many hairs, she commits one offense entailing confession.