Tripiṭaka Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
The Nuns’ Analysis
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Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,
Tena kho pana samayena aññatarā bhikkhunī sāvatthiyaṁ aññatarissā visikhāya piṇḍāya caramānā yena aññataraṁ kulaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.
a certain nun there was walking for almsfood along a street. She then went to a certain family where she sat down on the prepared seat.
Atha kho te manussā taṁ bhikkhuniṁ bhojetvā etadavocuṁ—
The people there gave her a meal and said,
“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo nāgaccheyyun”ti, bhikkhuniyo upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca—
“What can I do so that other nuns don’t come?” And she went up to other nuns and said,
“amukasmiṁ, ayye, okāse vāḷā sunakhā caṇḍo balibaddo cikkhallo okāso.
“Venerables, in such-and-such a place there are malicious dogs, a fierce ox, and it’s muddy.
Aññatarāpi bhikkhunī tassā visikhāya piṇḍāya caramānā yena taṁ kulaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.
Another nun, too, went to that family while walking for almsfood along that street. She sat down on the prepared seat
Atha kho te manussā taṁ bhikkhuniṁ bhojetvā etadavocuṁ—
and the people there gave her a meal. They then asked her,
Atha kho sā bhikkhunī tesaṁ manussānaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.
And she told them what had happened.
“kathañhi nāma bhikkhunī kulaṁ maccharāyissatī”ti …pe…
“How can a nun keep a family to herself?” …
“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī kulaṁ maccharāyatī”ti?
“Is it true, monks, that a nun acted like this?”
evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
“Yā pana bhikkhunī kulamaccharinī assa, pācittiyan”ti.
‘If a nun keeps a family to herself, 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.
cattāri kulāni— khattiyakulaṁ, brāhmaṇakulaṁ, vessakulaṁ, suddakulaṁ.
there are four kinds of families: the aristocratic family, the brahmin family, the merchant family, the worker family.
“kathaṁ bhikkhuniyo nāgaccheyyun”ti bhikkhunīnaṁ santike kulassa avaṇṇaṁ bhāsati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
if she thinks, “What can I do so that other nuns don’t come?” and she then speaks disparagingly about that family to the nuns, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Kulassa vā santike bhikkhunīnaṁ avaṇṇaṁ bhāsati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If she speaks disparagingly about that family to the nuns, she commits an offense entailing confession.
kulaṁ na maccharāyantī santaṁyeva ādīnavaṁ ācikkhati,
if she is not keeping a family to herself, but describes the drawbacks as they are;