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Bi NP 53 min read

5. Exchanging for something else

Aññacetāpana

A nun who gets one thing from a steward but then exchanges it for 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

0.55. AññacetāpanasikkhāpadaExchanging 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“kacci, ayye, khamanīyaṁ kacci yāpanīyan”ti?“I hope you’re bearing up, venerable, I hope you’re getting better?”

1.5“Na me, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyan”ti.“I’m not bearing up, and I’m not getting better.”

1.6“Amukassa, ayye, āpaṇikassa ghare kahāpaṇaṁ nikkhipissāmi, tato yaṁ iccheyyāsi taṁ āharāpeyyāsī”ti.“We’ll deposit a <i lang='pi' translate='no'>kahāpaṇa</i> coin in such-and-such a shop. Please get whatever you wish from there.”

1.7Thullanandā bhikkhunī aññataraṁ sikkhamānaṁ āṇāpesi—Thullanandā then said to a trainee nun,1.8“gaccha, sikkhamāne, amukassa āpaṇikassa gharā kahāpaṇassa telaṁ āharā”ti.“Go to such-and-such a shop and bring back a <i lang='pi' translate='no'>kahāpaṇa</i>’s worth of oil.”1.9PTS 4.250Atha kho sā sikkhamānā tassa āpaṇikassa gharā kahāpaṇassa telaṁ āharitvā thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā adāsi.That trainee nun did just that and gave it to Thullanandā.1.10Thullanandā bhikkhunī evamāha—Thullanandā said,1.11“na me, sikkhamāne, telena attho, sappinā me attho”ti.“I don’t need oil; I need ghee.”1.12Atha kho sā sikkhamānā yena so āpaṇiko tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ āpaṇikaṁ etadavoca—The trainee nun returned to the shopkeeper and said,1.13“na kira, āvuso, ayyāya telena attho, sappinā attho, handa te telaṁ, sappiṁ me dehī”ti.“It seems the nun doesn’t need oil, but ghee. Here’s your oil; please give me ghee.”

1.14“Sace mayaṁ, ayye, vikkītaṁ bhaṇḍaṁ puna ādiyissāma, kadā amhākaṁ bhaṇḍaṁ vikkāyissati.“Venerable, if we were to take back goods that have been sold, when would our goods be sold?1.15Telassa kayena telaṁ haṭaṁ, sappissa kayaṁ āhara, sappiṁ harissasī”ti.When oil is bought, oil is taken away. Buying ghee, you receive that, and you’ll take that away.”

1.16Atha kho sā sikkhamānā rodantī aṭṭhāsi.The trainee nun started to cry.1.17Bhikkhuniyo taṁ sikkhamānaṁ etadavocuṁ—The nuns asked her1.18“kissa tvaṁ, sikkhamāne, rodasī”ti?why,1.19Atha kho sā sikkhamānā bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.and she told them what had happened.

1.20Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.21“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā aññaṁ cetāpetvā aññaṁ cetāpessatī”ti …pe…“How could Venerable Thullanandā get one thing in exchange and then something else?” …1.22“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī aññaṁ cetāpetvā aññaṁ cetāpetī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”

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

1.24Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.25kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī aññaṁ cetāpetvā aññaṁ cetāpessati.“How could the nun Thullanandā get one thing in exchange and then something else?1.26Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.27evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.28.0Final ruling

1.28.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī aññaṁ cetāpetvā aññaṁ cetāpeyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.‘If a nun gets one thing in exchange and then something else, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

2.0Definitions

2.1Yā panātiA:
2.2yā yādisā …pe…whoever …
2.3bhikkhunītiNun:
2.4…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.
2.5Aññaṁ cetāpetvātiGets one thing in exchange:
2.6yaṁ kiñci cetāpetvā.whatever she gets in exchange.
2.7Aññaṁ cetāpeyyātiThen something else:
2.8taṁ ṭhapetvā aññaṁ cetāpeti, payoge dukkaṭaṁ.apart from that thing, if she gets something else in exchange, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct.2.9Paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṁ hoti.When she gets it, it becomes subject to relinquishment.

2.10Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā ekabhikkhuniyā vā.It should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual nun.2.11Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ.“And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …”2.12…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.)

2.13“idaṁ me, ayye, aññaṁ cetāpetvā aññaṁ cetāpitaṁ nissaggiyaṁ, imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe…“Venerables, this thing, which I got in exchange, having first gotten something else in exchange, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” …2.14dadeyyāti …pe…“the Sangha should give …”2.15dadeyyunti …pe…“you should give …”2.16ayyāya dammīti.“I give this back to you.”

2.17.0Permutations

2.17.1Aññe aññasaññā aññaṁ cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If it is something else and she perceives it as such, and she gets that in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.18Aññe vematikā aññaṁ cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If it is something else, but she is unsure of it, and she gets that in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.19Aññe anaññasaññā aññaṁ cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If it is something else, but she does not perceive it as such, and she gets that in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

2.20Anaññe aññasaññā anaññaṁ cetāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not something else, but she perceives it as such, and she gets that in exchange, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.21Anaññe vematikā anaññaṁ cetāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not something else, but she is unsure of it, and she gets that in exchange, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.22Anaññe anaññasaññā anāpatti.If it is not something else, and she does not perceive it as such, there is no offense.

2.23.0Non-offenses

2.23.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.24taññeva cetāpeti, aññañca cetāpeti,if she gets both in exchange at the same time; 2.25ānisaṁsaṁ dassetvā cetāpeti,if she can show a benefit in doing the exchange; 2.26ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.27ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.28Pañcamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The fifth training rule is finished.