Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
The Nuns’ Analysis
Tip — double-click any Pāli word to look it up in the dictionary.
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrel sanctuary,
Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhuniyo antovassaṁ cārikaṁ caranti.
the nuns went wandering during the rainy season.
“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo antovassaṁ cārikaṁ carissanti haritāni tiṇāni ca sammaddantā, ekindriyaṁ jīvaṁ viheṭhentā, bahū khuddake pāṇe saṅghātaṁ āpādentā”ti.
“How can the nuns go wandering during the rainy season? They are trampling down the green grass, harming one-sensed life, and destroying many small beings.”
Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.
The nuns heard the complaints of those people,
Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—
and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized them,
“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo antovassaṁ cārikaṁ carissantī”ti …pe…
“How can nuns go wandering during the rainy season?” …
“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo antovassaṁ cārikaṁ carantī”ti?
“Is it true, monks, that nuns do this?”
evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
“Yā pana bhikkhunī antovassaṁ cārikaṁ careyya, pācittiyan”ti.
‘If a nun goes wandering during the rainy season, 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.
purimaṁ vā temāsaṁ pacchimaṁ vā temāsaṁ avasitvā.
not having stayed put for the first three or the last three months of the rainy season.
kukkuṭasampāte gāme gāmantare gāmantare āpatti pācittiyassa.
when the villages are a chicken’s flight apart, then for every next village she commits an offense entailing confession.
Agāmake araññe addhayojane addhayojane āpatti pācittiyassa.
When it is an uninhabited area, a wilderness, then for every six kilometers she commits an offense entailing confession.