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36. Socializing with a householder

Saṁsaṭṭha

A nun who persistently engages in inappropriate socialization with lay people 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
  • 0.4TuvaṭṭavaggaThe subchapter on lying down

0.536. SaṁsaṭṭhasikkhāpadaSocializing with a householder

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 caṇḍakāḷī bhikkhunī saṁsaṭṭhā viharati gahapatināpi gahapatiputtenapi.the nun Caṇḍakāḷī was socializing with householders and their offspring.

1.3Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.4“kathañhi nāma ayyā caṇḍakāḷī saṁsaṭṭhā viharissati gahapatināpi gahapatiputtenapī”ti …pe…“How can Venerable Caṇḍakāḷī socialize with householders and their offspring?” …1.5“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, caṇḍakāḷī bhikkhunī saṁsaṭṭhā viharati gahapatināpi gahapatiputtenapī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nun Caṇḍakāḷī does this?”

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

1.7Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.8PTS 4.294kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, caṇḍakāḷī bhikkhunī saṁsaṭṭhā viharissati gahapatināpi gahapatiputtenapi.“How can the nun Caṇḍakāḷī do this?1.9Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.10evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.11.0Final ruling

1.11.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī saṁsaṭṭhā vihareyya gahapatinā vā gahapatiputtena vā sā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīhi evamassa vacanīyā—‘If a nun is socializing with a householder or a householder’s offspring, the nuns should correct her like this:1.12‘māyye, saṁsaṭṭhā vihari gahapatināpi gahapatiputtenapi. Viviccāyye; vivekaññeva bhaginiyā saṅgho vaṇṇetī’ti.“Venerable, don’t socialize with householders or householders’ offspring. Be secluded, venerable. The Sangha praises seclusion for the sisters.”11.13Evañca sā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīhi vuccamānā tatheva paggaṇheyya, sā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīhi yāvatatiyaṁ samanubhāsitabbā tassa paṭinissaggāya.If that nun continues as before, the nuns should press her up to three times to make her stop.1.14Yāvatatiyañce samanubhāsīyamānā taṁ paṭinissajjeyya, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ; no ce paṭinissajjeyya, pācittiyan”ti.If she then stops, all is well. If she does not stop, 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.
2.1.5Saṁsaṭṭhā nāmaSocializing:
2.1.6ananulomikena kāyikavācasikena saṁsaṭṭhā.she socializes with improper bodily and verbal actions.
2.1.7Gahapati nāmaA householder:
2.1.8yo koci agāraṁ ajjhāvasati.anyone who lives at home.
2.1.9Gahapatiputto nāmaA householder’s offspring:
2.1.10ye keci puttabhātaro.whoever is an offspring or a sibling.2
2.1.11Sā bhikkhunītiHer:
2.1.12yā sā saṁsaṭṭhā bhikkhunī.the nun who is socializing.
2.1.13BhikkhunīhītiThe nuns:

2.1.14aññāhi bhikkhunīhi. Yā passanti yā suṇanti tāhi vattabbā—other nuns who see it or hear about it. They should correct her like this:

2.1.15“māyye, saṁsaṭṭhā vihari gahapatināpi gahapatiputtenapi.“Venerable, don’t socialize with householders or householders’ offspring.2.1.16Viviccāyye;Be secluded, venerable.2.1.17vivekaññeva bhaginiyā saṅgho vaṇṇetī”ti.The Sangha praises seclusion for the sisters.”

2.1.18Dutiyampi vattabbā.And they should correct her a second2.1.19Tatiyampi vattabbā.and a third time.2.1.20Sace paṭinissajjati, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ;If she stops, all is well.2.1.21no ce paṭinissajjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If she does not stop, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.22Sutvā na vadanti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If those who hear about it do not say anything, they commit an offense of wrong conduct.

2.1.23Sā bhikkhunī saṅghamajjhampi ākaḍḍhitvā vattabbā—That nun, even if she has to be pulled into the Sangha, should be corrected like this:

2.1.24“māyye, saṁsaṭṭhā vihari gahapatināpi gahapatiputtenapi.“Venerable, don’t socialize with householders or householders’ offspring.2.1.25Viviccāyye;Be secluded, venerable.2.1.26vivekaññeva bhaginiyā saṅgho vaṇṇetī”ti.The Sangha praises seclusion for the sisters.”

2.1.27Dutiyampi vattabbā.They should correct her a second2.1.28Tatiyampi vattabbā.and a third time.2.1.29Sace paṭinissajjati, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ;If she stops, all is well.2.1.30no ce paṭinissajjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If she does not stop, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.1.31Sā bhikkhunī samanubhāsitabbā.Should press her:

2.1.32“Evañca pana, bhikkhave, samanubhāsitabbā.“And, monks, she should be pressed like this.2.1.33Byattāya bhikkhuniyā paṭibalāya saṅgho ñāpetabbo—A competent and capable nun should inform the Sangha:

2.1.34‘Suṇātu me, ayye, saṅgho.‘Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen.2.1.35Ayaṁ itthannāmā bhikkhunī saṁsaṭṭhā viharati gahapatināpi gahapatiputtenapi.The nun so-and-so is socializing with householders and their offspring.2.1.36Sā taṁ vatthuṁ na paṭinissajjati.And she keeps on doing it.2.1.37Yadi saṅghassa pattakallaṁ, saṅgho itthannāmaṁ bhikkhuniṁ samanubhāseyya tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya.If the Sangha is ready, it should press the nun so-and-so to make her stop.2.1.38Esā ñatti.This is the motion.

2.1.39Suṇātu me, ayye, saṅgho.Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen.2.1.40Ayaṁ itthannāmā bhikkhunī saṁsaṭṭhā viharati gahapatināpi gahapatiputtenapi.The nun so-and-so is socializing with householders and their offspring.2.1.41Sā taṁ vatthuṁ na paṭinissajjati.And she keeps on doing it.2.1.42Saṅgho itthannāmaṁ bhikkhuniṁ samanubhāsati tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya.The Sangha presses the nun so-and-so to make her stop.2.1.43Yassā ayyāya khamati itthannāmāya bhikkhuniyā samanubhāsanā tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya, sā tuṇhassa;Any nun who approves of pressing the nun so-and-so to make her stop should remain silent.2.1.44yassā nakkhamati, sā bhāseyya.Any nun who doesn’t approve should speak up.

2.1.45Dutiyampi etamatthaṁ vadāmi …pe…For the second time, I speak on this matter. …2.1.46tatiyampi etamatthaṁ vadāmi …pe….For the third time, I speak on this matter. …

2.1.47Samanubhaṭṭhā saṅghena itthannāmā bhikkhunī tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya;The Sangha has pressed the nun so-and-so to make her stop.2.1.48khamati saṅghassa, tasmā tuṇhī, evametaṁ dhārayāmī’”ti.The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’”

2.1.49PTS 4.295Ñattiyā dukkaṭaṁ.After the motion, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.32.1.50Dvīhi kammavācāhi dukkaṭā.After each of the first two announcements, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.51Kammavācāpariyosāne āpatti pācittiyassa.When the last announcement is finished, she commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Dhammakamme dhammakammasaññā na paṭinissajjati, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is a legitimate legal procedure, and she perceives it as such, and she does not stop, she commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.2Dhammakamme vematikā na paṭinissajjati, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but she is unsure of it, and she does not stop, she commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.3Dhammakamme adhammakammasaññā na paṭinissajjati, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but she perceives it as illegitimate, and she does not stop, she commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.4Adhammakamme dhammakammasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, but she perceives it as legitimate, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.5Adhammakamme vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.6Adhammakamme adhammakammasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, and she perceives it as such, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2asamanubhāsantiyā,if she has not been pressed; 2.3.3paṭinissajjantiyā,if she stops; 2.3.4ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.3.5ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.3.6Chaṭṭhasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The sixth training rule is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. The Pali has the singular bhaginiyā, “for a sister”, but I render it in the plural to fit better with English idiom.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pc36:1.12

  2. “Offspring” renders putta/ā, whereas “sibling” renders bhātaro. In Pali the male gender takes precedence if a group contains people of both sexes. For instance, the plural puttā, “sons”, may mean “children” or “offsping”, depending on the context. In the same way, the plural bhātāro, “brothers”, can mean “siblings”. This way of understanding male-gender nouns is confirmed in the introduction to the Pali lexical work the Abhidhānappadīpikāṭīkā: Ettha hi mātā ca pitā ca pitaro, putto ca dhītā ca puttā, sassu ca sasuro ca sasurā, bhātā ca bhaginī ca bhātaroti bhinnaliṅgānampi ekaseso dassitoti, “‘Mother and father are fathers; son and daughter are sons; mother-in-law and father-in-law are fathers-in-law; brother and sister are brothers;’ in this case the split gender is shown with only one gender remaining.” The Abhidhānappadīpikāṭīkā is available online at tipitaka.org.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pc36:2.1.10

  3. The Pali just says dukkaṭa, without specifying that it is an āpatti, “an offense”. Yet elsewhere, such as at Bu Ss 10:2.65, the dukkaṭa is annulled if you commit the full offense of saṅghādisesa. The implication is that in these contexts dukkaṭa should be read as āpatti dukkaṭassa, “an offense of wrong conduct”.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pc36:2.1.49