0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
0.2BhikkhunivibhaṅgaThe Nuns’ Analysis
0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
0.4NaggavaggaThe subchapter on nakedness

0.523. CīvarasibbanasikkhāpadaUnstitching a robe

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.1.2Tena kho pana samayena aññatarissā bhikkhuniyā mahagghe cīvaradusse cīvaraṁ dukkaṭaṁ hoti dussibbitaṁ.At that time a robe belonging to a certain nun had been badly made and badly sewn from expensive robe-cloth.1.3PTS 4.280Thullanandā bhikkhunī taṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca—The nun Thullanandā said to her,1.4“sundaraṁ kho idaṁ te, ayye, cīvaradussaṁ;“Venerable, this robe-cloth is beautiful,1.5cīvarañca kho dukkaṭaṁ dussibbitan”ti.but the robe has been badly made and badly sewn.”

1.6“Visibbemi, ayye, sibbissasī”ti?“If I unstitch it, will you sew it back together?”

1.7“Āmāyye, sibbissāmī”ti.“Sure.”

1.8Atha kho sā bhikkhunī taṁ cīvaraṁ visibbetvā thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā adāsi.Then that nun unstitched the robe and gave it to Thullanandā.1.9Thullanandā bhikkhunī—Yet although Thullanandā1.10“sibbissāmi sibbissāmī”ti neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti.repeatedly said she would sew it, she neither sewed it herself nor did she make any effort to have someone else do it.

1.11Atha kho sā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.That nun then told the nuns what had happened.1.12Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized Thullanandā,1.13“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbāpetvā neva sibbissati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissatī”ti …pe…“How could Venerable Thullanandā have a nun’s robe unstitched, and then neither sew it herself nor make any effort to have someone else do it?” …1.14“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbāpetvā neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karotī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”

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

1.16Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.17kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbāpetvā neva sibbissati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissati.“How could the nun Thullanandā act like this?1.18Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.19evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.20.0Final ruling

1.20.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbeyya na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ kareyya, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a nun, after unstitching a nun’s robe or having it unstitched, neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing 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.
2.1.5BhikkhuniyātiA nun’s:: 2.1.6aññāya bhikkhuniyā.another nun’s.
2.1.7Cīvaraṁ nāmaRobe:: 2.1.8channaṁ cīvarānaṁ aññataraṁ cīvaraṁ.one of the six kinds of robes.
2.1.9VisibbetvātiUnstitching:: 2.1.10sayaṁ visibbetvā.she unstitches it herself.
2.1.11VisibbāpetvātiHaving it unstitched:: 2.1.12aññaṁ visibbāpetvā.she has someone else unstitch it.
2.1.13Sā pacchā anantarāyikinītiAnd there were no obstacles:: 2.1.14asati antarāye.when there is no obstacle.
2.1.15Neva sibbeyyātiShe neither sews:: 2.1.16na sayaṁ sibbeyya.she does not sew it herself.
2.1.17Na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ kareyyātiNor makes any effort to have someone else sew it:: 2.1.18na aññaṁ āṇāpeyya.she does not ask anyone else.
2.1.19Aññatra catūhapañcāhātiExcept if it was no more than four or five days:: 2.1.20ṭhapetvā catūhapañcāhaṁ.unless it was no more than four or five days.

2.1.21“Neva sibbissāmi na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissāmī”ti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte āpatti pācittiyassa.If she thinks, “I’ll neither sew it nor make any effort to have someone else sew it,” then by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, she commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Upasampannāya upasampannasaññā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the other person is fully ordained, and she perceives her as such, and she unstitches her robe or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.2Upasampannāya vematikā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the other person is fully ordained, but she is unsure of it, and she unstitches her robe or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.3Upasampannāya anupasampannasaññā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the other person is fully ordained, but she does not perceive her as such, and she unstitches her robe or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.4PTS 4.281Aññaṁ parikkhāraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If she unstitches another requisite or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.5Anupasampannāya cīvaraṁ vā aññaṁ vā parikkhāraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, and she unstitches her robe or another requisite, or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.6Anupasampannāya upasampannasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, but she perceives her as such, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.7Anupasampannāya vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.8Anupasampannāya anupasampannasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, and she does not perceive her as such, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2sati antarāye,if there is an obstacle; 2.3.3pariyesitvā na labhati,if she searches for someone to sew, but does not find anyone; 2.3.4karontī catūhapañcāhaṁ atikkāmeti,if she is doing it, but she takes longer than four or five days; 2.3.5gilānāya,if she is sick; 2.3.6āpadāsu,if there is an emergency; 2.3.7ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.3.8ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.3.9Tatiyasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The third training rule is finished.