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 aññatarissā bhikkhuniyā mahagghe cīvaradusse cīvaraṁ dukkaṭaṁ hoti dussibbitaṁ.
At that time a robe belonging to a certain nun had been badly made and badly sewn from expensive robe-cloth.
Atha kho sā bhikkhunī taṁ cīvaraṁ visibbetvā thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā adāsi.
Then that nun unstitched the robe and gave it to Thullanandā.
“sibbissāmi sibbissāmī”ti neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti.
repeatedly said she would sew it, she neither sewed it herself nor did she make any effort to have someone else do 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 Thullanandā,
“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbāpetvā neva sibbissati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissatī”ti …pe…
“How could Venerable Thullanandā have a nun’s robe unstitched, and then neither sew it herself nor make any effort to have someone else do it?” …
“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbāpetvā neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karotī”ti?
“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”
kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbāpetvā neva sibbissati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissati.
“How could the nun Thullanandā act like this?
evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
“Yā pana bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbeyya na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ kareyya, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, pācittiyan”ti.
‘If a nun, after unstitching a nun’s robe or having it unstitched, neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, 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.
“Neva sibbissāmi na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissāmī”ti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte āpatti pācittiyassa.
If she thinks, “I’ll neither sew it nor make any effort to have someone else sew it,” then by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Upasampannāya upasampannasaññā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If the other person is fully ordained, and she perceives her as such, and she unstitches her robe or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Upasampannāya vematikā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If the other person is fully ordained, but she is unsure of it, and she unstitches her robe or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Upasampannāya anupasampannasaññā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If the other person is fully ordained, but she does not perceive her as such, and she unstitches her robe or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Aññaṁ parikkhāraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If she unstitches another requisite or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Anupasampannāya cīvaraṁ vā aññaṁ vā parikkhāraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If the other person is not fully ordained, and she unstitches her robe or another requisite, or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, 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.
karontī catūhapañcāhaṁ atikkāmeti,
if she is doing it, but she takes longer than four or five days;