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77. Not ordaining a trainee after promising

Cīvaradāna-sikkhamānana-vuṭṭhāpana

A nun who promises to ordain a trainee nun in return for robe-cloth but then makes no effort to get her ordained 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
  • 0.4KumāribhūtavaggaThe subchapter on unmarried women

0.577. Sikkhamāna-navuṭṭhāpanasikkhāpadaNot ordaining a trainee after promising

1.0Origin story

1.1PTS 4.332Tena 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 aññatarā sikkhamānā thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ upasaṅkamitvā upasampadaṁ yāci.a trainee nun went to the nun Thullanandā and asked her for the full ordination.1.3Thullanandā bhikkhunī taṁ sikkhamānaṁ—Thullanandā told her,1.4“sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī”ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpeti na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti.“If you give me a robe, venerable, I’ll give you the full admission.” But she neither gave her the full admission nor made any effort to have her fully admitted.

1.5Atha kho sā sikkhamānā bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.That trainee nun told the nuns what had happened.1.6Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.7“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā sikkhamānaṁ—“How could Venerable Thullanandā say that to a trainee nun1.8‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpessati na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissatī”ti …pe…and then neither give her the full admission nor make any effort to have her fully admitted?” …1.9“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī sikkhamānaṁ—“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”1.10‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpeti na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karotī”ti?

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

1.12Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.13kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī sikkhamānaṁ—“How could the nun Thullanandā act in this way?1.14‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpessati na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissati.1.15Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.16evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.17.0Final ruling

1.17.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī sikkhamānaṁ—‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi, evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva vuṭṭhāpeyya na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ kareyya, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a nun tells a trainee nun, “If you give me a robe, venerable, I’ll give you the full admission,” but she then neither gives her the full admission nor makes any effort to have her fully admitted, then, if there were no obstacles, 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.
2.1.5Sikkhamānā nāmaA trainee nun:
2.1.6dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhitasikkhā.one who has trained for two years in the six rules.
2.1.7Sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmīti“If you give me a robe, venerable, I’ll give you the full admission”:
2.1.8evāhaṁ taṁ upasampādessāmi.I’ll give you the full ordination.
2.1.9Sā pacchā anantarāyikinītiThen, if there were no obstacles:
2.1.10asati antarāye.when there is no obstacle.
2.1.11Neva vuṭṭhāpeyyātiShe neither gives her the full admission:
2.1.12na sayaṁ vuṭṭhāpeyya.does not herself give her the full admission.
2.1.13Na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ kareyyātiNor makes any effort to have her fully admitted:
2.1.14na aññaṁ āṇāpeyya.does not ask anyone else to give her the full ordination.

2.1.15“Neva vuṭṭhāpessāmi na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissāmī”ti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte āpatti pācittiyassa.If she thinks, “I’ll neither give her the full admission nor make any effort to have her fully admitted,” then by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, she commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.0Non-offenses

2.2.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.2.2sati antarāye,if there is an obstacle; 2.2.3pariyesitvā na labhati,if she searches for someone to give her the full ordination, but is unable to find anyone; 2.2.4gilānāya,if she is sick; 2.2.5āpadāsu,if there is an emergency; 2.2.6ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.2.7ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.2.8Sattamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The seventh training rule is finished.