Tripiṭaka Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
The Nuns’ Analysis
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77. Sikkhamāna-navuṭṭhāpanasikkhāpada
The training rule on not giving the full admission to trainee nuns
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 sikkhamānā thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ upasaṅkamitvā upasampadaṁ yāci.
a trainee nun went to the nun Thullanandā and asked her for the full ordination.
“sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī”ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpeti na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti.
“If you give me a robe, Venerable, I’ll give you the full admission.” But she neither gave her the full admission nor made any effort to have her fully admitted.
Atha kho sā sikkhamānā bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.
That trainee nun told the nuns what had happened.
Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—
The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,
“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā sikkhamānaṁ—
“How could Venerable Thullanandā say that to a trainee nun
‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpessati na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissatī”ti …pe…
and then neither give her the full admission nor make any effort to have her fully admitted?” …
“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī sikkhamānaṁ—
“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”
‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpeti na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karotī”ti?
kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī sikkhamānaṁ—
“How could the nun Thullanandā act in this way?
‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpessati na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissati.
evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
“Yā pana bhikkhunī sikkhamānaṁ—‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi, evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva vuṭṭhāpeyya na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ kareyya, pācittiyan”ti.
‘If a nun tells a trainee nun, “If you give me a robe, Venerable, I’ll give you the full admission,” but she then neither gives her the full admission nor makes any effort to have her fully admitted, then, if there were no obstacles, 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.
dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhitasikkhā.
one who has trained for two years in the six rules.
Sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmīti
If you give me a robe, Venerable, I’ll give you the full admission:
“Neva vuṭṭhāpessāmi na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissāmī”ti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte āpatti pācittiyassa.
If she thinks, “I’ll neither give her the full admission nor make any effort to have her fully admitted,” then by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, she commits an offense entailing confession.
pariyesitvā na labhati,
if she searches for someone to give her the full ordination, but is unable to find anyone;