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4. Asking for something else

Aññaviññāpana

A nun who asks for one thing but after receiving it says she wants something else must relinquish the item and confess the offense.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2BhikkhunivibhaṅgaThe Nuns’ Analysis
  • 0.3NissaggiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on relinquishment
  • 0.4PattavaggaThe subchapter on almsbowls

0.54. AññaviññāpanasikkhāpadaAsking for something else

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,1.2Tena kho pana samayena thullanandā bhikkhunī gilānā hoti.the nun Thullanandā was sick.1.3Atha kho aññataro upāsako yena thullanandā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca—A lay follower went to her and asked,1.4“kiṁ te, ayye, aphāsu, kiṁ āharīyatū”ti?“Venerable, what’s wrong with you? What may I get you?”

1.5“Sappinā me, āvuso, attho”ti.“I need ghee.”

1.6Atha kho so upāsako aññatarassa āpaṇikassa gharā kahāpaṇassa sappiṁ āharitvā thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā adāsi.That lay follower then brought back from a shop a <i lang='pi' translate='no'>kahāpaṇa</i>’s worth of ghee and gave it to Thullanandā.1.7Thullanandā bhikkhunī evamāha—Thullanandā said,1.8“na me, āvuso, sappinā attho;“I don’t need ghee;1.9telena me attho”ti.I need oil.”1.10Atha kho so upāsako yena so āpaṇiko tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ āpaṇikaṁ etadavoca—The lay follower returned to the shopkeeper and said,1.11“na kirāyyo, ayyāya sappinā attho, telena attho.“It seems the nun doesn’t need ghee, but oil.1.12Handa te sappiṁ, telaṁ me dehī”ti.Here’s your ghee; please give me oil.”

1.13“Sace mayaṁ, ayyo, vikkītaṁ bhaṇḍaṁ puna ādiyissāma, kadā amhākaṁ bhaṇḍaṁ vikkāyissati;“Sir, if we were to take back goods that have been sold, when would our goods be sold?1.14sappissa kayena sappi haṭaṁ, telassa kayaṁ āhara, telaṁ harissasī”ti.When ghee is bought, ghee is taken away. Buying oil, you receive that, and you’ll take that away.”

1.15Atha kho so upāsako ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti—That lay follower then complained and criticized her,1.16“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā aññaṁ viññāpetvā aññaṁ viññāpessatī”ti.“How could Venerable Thullanandā ask for one thing and then for something else?”

1.17Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tassa upāsakassa ujjhāyantassa khiyyantassa vipācentassa.The nuns heard the complaints of that lay follower,1.18Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti …pe…and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized her …1.19atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.Those nuns then told the monks,1.20Bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe…who in turn told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks:1.21“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī aññaṁ viññāpetvā aññaṁ viññāpetī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”

1.22“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.23PTS 4.249Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.24kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī aññaṁ viññāpetvā aññaṁ viññāpessati.“How could the nun Thullanandā ask for one thing and then for something else?1.25Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.26evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.27.0Final ruling

1.27.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī aññaṁ viññāpetvā aññaṁ viññāpeyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.‘If a nun asks for one thing and then for something else, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Yā panātiA:
2.1.2yā yādisā …pe…whoever …
2.1.3bhikkhunītiNun:
2.1.4…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.
2.1.5Aññaṁ viññāpetvātiAsks for one thing:
2.1.6yaṁ kiñci viññāpetvā.whatever she asks for.
2.1.7Aññaṁ viññāpeyyātiThen for something else:
2.1.8taṁ ṭhapetvā aññaṁ viññāpeti, payoge dukkaṭaṁ.apart from that thing, if she asks for something else, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct.2.1.9Paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṁ hoti.When she gets it, it becomes subject to relinquishment.

2.1.10Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā ekabhikkhuniyā vā.It should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual nun.2.1.11Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ.“And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …”2.1.12…pe…(To be expanded as in <a href='https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bi-vb-np1#2.1.21'>Bi NP 1:2.1.21</a>–2.1.43, with appropriate substitutions.)

2.1.13“idaṁ me, ayye, aññaṁ viññāpetvā aññaṁ viññāpitaṁ nissaggiyaṁ, imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe…“Venerables, this thing, which I asked for after asking for something else, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” …2.1.14dadeyyā”ti …pe…“the Sangha should give …”2.1.15dadeyyun”ti …pe…“you should give …”2.1.16ayyāya dammī”ti.“I give this back to you.”

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Aññe aññasaññā aññaṁ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If it is something else and she perceives it as such, and she asks for that, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.2.2Aññe vematikā aññaṁ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If it is something else, but she is unsure of it, and she asks for that, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.2.3Aññe anaññasaññā aññaṁ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If it is something else, but she does not perceive it as such, and she asks for that, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

2.2.4Anaññe aññasaññā anaññaṁ viññāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not something else, but she perceives it as such, and she asks for that, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.5Anaññe vematikā anaññaṁ viññāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not something else, but she is unsure of it, and she asks for that, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.6Anaññe anaññasaññā, anāpatti.If it is not something else, and she does not perceive it as such, and she asks for that, there is no offense.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2taññeva viññāpeti, aññañca viññāpeti,if she asks for both at the same time; 2.3.3ānisaṁsaṁ dassetvā viññāpeti,if she can show a benefit in asking; 2.3.4ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.3.5ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.3.6Catutthasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The fourth training rule is finished.