Tripiṭaka Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
The Nuns’ Analysis
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Ime kho panāyyāyo sattarasa saṅghādisesā dhammā uddesaṁ āgacchanti.
Venerables, these seventeen rules on suspension come up for recitation.
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 aññataro upāsako bhikkhunisaṅghassa udositaṁ datvā kālaṅkato hoti.
At that time a lay follower who had given a storehouse to the Sangha of nuns had died.
Atha kho so assaddho appasanno taṁ saddhaṁ pasannaṁ etadavoca—
Then the one without faith said to the other,
Evaṁ vutte, so saddho pasanno taṁ assaddhaṁ appasannaṁ etadavoca—
But the one with faith responded,
Dutiyampi kho so assaddho appasanno taṁ saddhaṁ pasannaṁ etadavoca—
A second time they both said the same thing,
“amhākaṁ udosito, taṁ bhājemā”ti.
Atha kho so saddho pasanno taṁ assaddhaṁ appasannaṁ etadavoca—
“māyyo, evaṁ avaca.
Amhākaṁ pitunā bhikkhunisaṅghassa dinno”ti.
Tatiyampi kho so assaddho appasanno taṁ saddhaṁ pasannaṁ etadavoca—
and a third time the one without faith repeated his proposal.
“amhākaṁ udosito, taṁ bhājemā”ti.
“sace mayhaṁ bhavissati, ahampi bhikkhunisaṅghassa dassāmī”ti—
“If I get it, I too would give it to the Sangha of nuns,”
Atha kho so udosito tehi bhājīyamāno tassa assaddhassa appasannassa pāpuṇāti.
But when they allocated it, it fell to the one without faith.
Atha kho so assaddho appasanno bhikkhuniyo upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca—
He then went to the nuns and said,
“māyyo, evaṁ avaca, tumhākaṁ pitunā bhikkhunisaṅghassa dinno”ti.
“No, your father gave it to the Sangha of nuns.”
“Dinno na dinno”ti vohārike mahāmatte pucchiṁsu.
Because they were unable to agree, they asked judges to decide on the matter.
“ko, ayye, jānāti bhikkhunisaṅghassa dinno”ti?
“Venerable, who knows that it was given to the Sangha of nuns?”
“api nāyyā tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā sakkhiṁ ṭhapayitvā dānaṁ diyyamānan”ti?
“But Sirs, didn’t you appoint a witness who saw or heard the giving of the gift?”
“saccaṁ kho ayyā āhā”ti taṁ udositaṁ bhikkhunisaṅghassa akaṁsu.
“It’s true what the Venerable says,” the judges made the storehouse the property of the Sangha of nuns.
Atha kho so puriso parājito ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti—
The defeated man complained and criticized the nuns,
Atha kho so puriso daṇḍito bhikkhunupassayassa avidūre ājīvakaseyyaṁ kārāpetvā ājīvake uyyojesi—
That man then made a dwelling place for Ājīvaka ascetics not far from the nuns,
“paṭhamaṁ bhikkhuniyo udositaṁ acchindāpesuṁ, dutiyaṁ daṇḍāpesuṁ, tatiyaṁ bandhāpesuṁ.
“First the nuns take his storehouse, then they have him punished, and then they have him jailed.
Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.
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 her,
“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā ussayavādikā viharissatī”ti.
“How could Venerable Thullanandā take legal action?”
“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī ussayavādikā viharatī”ti.
“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā is taking legal action?”
kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī ussayavādikā viharissati.
“How could the nun Thullanandā take legal action?
evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
“Yā pana bhikkhunī ussayavādikā vihareyya gahapatinā vā gahapatiputtena vā dāsena vā kammakārena vā antamaso samaṇaparibbājakenāpi, ayaṁ bhikkhunī paṭhamāpattikaṁ dhammaṁ āpannā nissāraṇīyaṁ saṅghādisesan”ti.
‘If a nun takes legal action against a householder or a householder’s offspring or a slave or a worker or even toward a monastic or a wanderer, then that nun has committed an immediate offense entailing sending away and suspension.’”
…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.
antojāto dhanakkīto karamarānīto.
one born in the household, one who has been bought, one who has been brought back as a captive.
bhikkhuñca bhikkhuniñca sikkhamānañca sāmaṇerañca sāmaṇeriñca ṭhapetvā yo koci paribbājakasamāpanno.
anyone who is a wanderer apart from Buddhist monks, nuns, trainee nuns, novice monks, and novice nuns.
Aḍḍaṁ karissāmīti dutiyaṁ vā pariyesati gacchati vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If, thinking, “I’ll initiate a lawsuit,” she looks for a companion or just goes there herself, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Ekassa āroceti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If she tells one other person, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Dutiyassa āroceti, āpatti thullaccayassa.
If she tells a second person, she commits a serious offense.
Aḍḍapariyosāne āpatti saṅghādisesassa.
At the end of the lawsuit, she commits an offense entailing suspension.
saha vatthujjhācārā āpajjati asamanubhāsanāya.
there is an offense as soon as the misconduct is committed, and no pressing is required.
saṅghova tassā āpattiyā mānattaṁ deti mūlāya paṭikassati abbheti, na sambahulā na ekā bhikkhunī. Tena vuccati “saṅghādiseso”ti.
only the Sangha gives the trial period for that offense, sends back to the beginning, and rehabilitates—not several nuns, not an individual nun. Therefore it is called an offense entailing suspension.
Tasseva āpattinikāyassa nāmakammaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Tenapi vuccati “saṅghādiseso”ti.
This is the name and designation of this class of offense. Therefore, too, it is called an offense entailing suspension.