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79. Ordaining one who is difficult to live with

Sokāvāsa

A nun who ordains a trainee nun who socializes inappropriately and is difficult to live with 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

0.579. SokāvāsasikkhāpadaOrdaining one who is difficult to live with

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 thullanandā bhikkhunī purisasaṁsaṭṭhaṁ kumārakasaṁsaṭṭhaṁ caṇḍiṁ sokāvāsaṁ caṇḍakāḷiṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpeti.At that time the nun Thullanandā gave the full admission to the trainee nun Caṇḍakāḷī, who was socializing with men and boys, and who was temperamental and difficult to live with.

1.3Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.4“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā purisasaṁsaṭṭhaṁ kumārakasaṁsaṭṭhaṁ caṇḍiṁ sokāvāsaṁ caṇḍakāḷiṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpessatī”ti …pe…“How could Venerable Thullanandā give the full admission to the trainee nun Caṇḍakāḷī, who is socializing with men and boys, and who is temperamental and difficult to live with?” …1.5“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī purisasaṁsaṭṭhaṁ kumārakasaṁsaṭṭhaṁ caṇḍiṁ sokāvāsaṁ caṇḍakāḷiṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpetī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”

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

1.7Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.8PTS 4.334kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī purisasaṁsaṭṭhaṁ kumārakasaṁsaṭṭhaṁ caṇḍiṁ sokāvāsaṁ caṇḍakāḷiṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpessati.“How could the nun Thullanandā 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 purisasaṁsaṭṭhaṁ kumārakasaṁsaṭṭhaṁ caṇḍiṁ sokāvāsaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpeyya, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a nun gives the full admission to a trainee nun who is socializing with men and boys and who is temperamental and difficult to live with, 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.
2.1.5Puriso nāmaMen:
2.1.6pattavīsativasso.those who have reached twenty years of age.
2.1.7Kumārako nāmaBoys:
2.1.8appattavīsativasso.those who have not reached twenty years of age.
2.1.9Saṁsaṭṭhā nāmaSocializing:
2.1.10ananulomikena kāyikavācasikena saṁsaṭṭhā.she socializes with improper bodily and verbal actions.
2.1.11Caṇḍī nāmaTemperamental:
2.1.12kodhanā vuccati.angry is what is meant.
2.1.13Sokāvāsā nāmaDifficult to live with:
2.1.14paresaṁ dukkhaṁ uppādeti, sokaṁ āvisati.she causes suffering to others, and grieves herself.
2.1.15Sikkhamānā nāmaA trainee nun:
2.1.16dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhitasikkhā.one who has trained for two years in the six rules.
2.1.17VuṭṭhāpeyyātiGives the full admission:
2.1.18upasampādeyya.gives the full ordination.2.1.19“Vuṭṭhāpessāmī”ti gaṇaṁ vā ācariniṁ vā pattaṁ vā cīvaraṁ vā pariyesati, sīmaṁ vā sammannati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, intending to give the full admission, she searches for a group, a teacher, a bowl, or a robe, or she establishes a monastery zone, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.20Ñattiyā dukkaṭaṁ.After the motion, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.12.1.21Dvīhi kammavācāhi dukkaṭā.After each of the first two announcements, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.22Kammavācāpariyosāne upajjhāyāya āpatti pācittiyassa;When the last announcement is finished, the preceptor commits an offense entailing confession,2.1.23gaṇassa ca ācariniyā ca āpatti dukkaṭassa.and the group and the teacher commit an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.0Non-offenses

2.2.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.2.2ajānantī vuṭṭhāpeti,if she gives her the full admission without knowing what she is like; 2.2.3ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.2.4ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.2.5Navamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The ninth training rule is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. 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-pc79:2.1.20