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 bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchanti ovādampi na yācanti.
At that time the nuns did not enquire about the observance day nor ask for the instruction.
“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchissanti ovādampi na yācissantī”ti …pe…
“How can the nuns not enquire about the observance day nor ask for the instruction?” …
“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchanti ovādampi na yācantī”ti?
“Is it true, monks, that the nuns don’t do this?”
kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchissanti ovādampi na yācissanti.
“How can the nuns not do this?
evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
“Anvaddhamāsaṁ bhikkhuniyā bhikkhusaṅghato dve dhammā paccāsīsitabbā—uposathapucchakañca ovādūpasaṅkamanañca. Taṁ atikkāmentiyā pācittiyan”ti.
‘Every half-month a nun should seek two things from the Sangha of monks: asking it about the observance day and going to it for the instruction. If she lets the half-month pass, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”
dve uposathā— cātuddasiko ca pannarasiko ca.
there are two observance days: the fourteenth and the fifteenth day of the lunar half-month.
“Uposathampi na pucchissāmi ovādampi na yācissāmī”ti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte āpatti pācittiyassa.
If she thinks, “I won’t enquire about the observance day, nor ask for the instruction,” then by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, she commits an offense entailing confession.
pariyesitvā dutiyikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ na labhati,
if she searches for a companion nun, but does not find one;