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Bi Pc 262 min read

26. Hindering robe-cloth for the community

Gaṇacīvara

A nun who hinders an order of nuns from receiving robe-cloth must 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
  • 0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
  • 0.4NaggavaggaThe subchapter on nakedness

0.526. GaṇacīvarasikkhāpadaHindering robe-cloth for the community

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 thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā upaṭṭhākakulaṁ thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca—a family that was supporting the nun Thullanandā said to her,1.3“bhikkhunisaṅghassa, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassāmā”ti.“Venerable, we’re going to give robe-cloth to the Sangha of nuns.”

1.4Thullanandā bhikkhunī—She replied,1.5“tumhe bahukiccā bahukaraṇīyā”ti antarāyaṁ akāsi.“You’re very busy,” and she created an obstacle for them.

1.6Tena kho pana samayena tassa kulassa gharaṁ ḍayhati.Soon afterwards the house of that family burned down.1.7Te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—They then complained and criticized her,1.8“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā amhākaṁ deyyadhammaṁ antarāyaṁ karissati.“How could Venerable Thullanandā create an obstacle for our gift?1.9Ubhayenāmha paribāhirā bhogehi ca puññena cā”ti.Now we have neither possessions nor merit.”

1.10Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.The nuns heard the complaints of those people,1.11Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.12“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā gaṇassa cīvaralābhaṁ antarāyaṁ karissatī”ti …pe…“How could Venerable Thullanandā create an obstacle for the community to get robe-cloth?” …1.13“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī gaṇassa cīvaralābhaṁ antarāyaṁ akāsī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”

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

1.15Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.16kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī gaṇassa cīvaralābhaṁ antarāyaṁ karissati.“How could the nun Thullanandā do this?1.17Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.18evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.19.0Final ruling

1.19.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī gaṇassa cīvaralābhaṁ antarāyaṁ kareyya, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a nun creates an obstacle for the community to get robe-cloth, 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.
2.1.5Gaṇo nāmaThe community:
2.1.6bhikkhunisaṅgho vuccati.the Sangha of nuns is what is meant.
2.1.7Cīvaraṁ nāmaRobe-cloth:
2.1.8channaṁ cīvarānaṁ aññataraṁ cīvaraṁ vikappanupagaṁ pacchimaṁ.one of the six kinds of robe-cloth, but not smaller than what can be assigned to another.1
2.1.9PTS 4.284Antarāyaṁ kareyyātiCreates an obstacle:
2.1.10“kathaṁ ime cīvaraṁ na dadeyyun”ti antarāyaṁ karoti, āpatti pācittiyassa.if she creates an obstacle with the thought, “What can be done so that these people don’t give robe-cloth?”, she commits an offense entailing confession.

2.1.11Aññaṁ parikkhāraṁ antarāyaṁ karoti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If she creates an obstacle for another requisite, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.12Sambahulānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ vā ekabhikkhuniyā vā anupasampannāya vā cīvaraṁ vā aññaṁ vā parikkhāraṁ antarāyaṁ karoti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If she creates an obstacle for a number of nuns or for a single nun or for someone who is not fully ordained to get robe-cloth or another requisite, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.0Non-offenses

2.2.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.2.2ānisaṁsaṁ dassetvā nivāreti,if she can show a benefit in obstructing them; 2.2.3ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.2.4ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.2.5Chaṭṭhasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The sixth training rule is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. The six are linen, cotton, silk, wool, sunn hemp, and hemp, see Kd 8:3.1.6. According to Kd 8:21.1.4 the size referred to here is no smaller than 8 by 4 sugataṅgula, “standard fingerbreadths”. For an explanation of sugata as “standard” and the idea of vikappanā, see Appendix of Technical Terms.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pc26:2.1.8