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Bi Pc 962 min read

96. Not wearing a chest wrap

Saṁkakṣikā

A nun who enters an inhabited area without a bust cover 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
  • 0.4ChattupāhanavaggaThe subchapter on sunshades and sandals

0.596. AsaṅkaccikasikkhāpadaNot wearing a chest wrap

1.0Origin story

1.1PTS 4.345Tena 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 bhikkhunī asaṅkaccikā gāmaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.a nun had gone to the village for alms without wearing her chest wrap.1.3Tassā rathikāya vātamaṇḍalikā saṅghāṭiyo ukkhipiṁsu.While she was walking along a street, a whirlwind lifted up her upper robes.1.4Manussā ukkuṭṭhiṁ akaṁsu—People shouted out,1.5“sundarā ayyāya thanudarā”ti.“She has beautiful breasts and belly!”1.6Sā bhikkhunī tehi manussehi uppaṇḍiyamānā maṅku ahosi.Because she was teased by those people, she felt humiliated.

1.7Atha kho sā bhikkhunī upassayaṁ gantvā bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.After returning to the nunnery, she told the nuns what had happened.1.8Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.9“kathañhi nāma bhikkhunī asaṅkaccikā gāmaṁ pavisissatī”ti …pe…“How could a nun enter an inhabited area without wearing her chest wrap?” …1.10“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī asaṅkaccikā gāmaṁ pāvisī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that a nun did this?”

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

1.12Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.13kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī asaṅkaccikā gāmaṁ pavisissati.“How could a nun do this?1.14Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.15evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.16.0Final ruling

1.16.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī asaṅkaccikā gāmaṁ paviseyya, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a nun enters an inhabited area without wearing her chest wrap, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”1

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.
2.1.5AsaṅkaccikātiWithout wearing her chest wrap:
2.1.6vinā saṅkaccikaṁ.not wearing her chest wrap.
2.1.7Saṅkaccikaṁ nāmaChest wrap:
2.1.8adhakkhakaṁ ubbhanābhi, tassa paṭicchādanatthāya.it is for the purpose of concealing the body below the collar bone and above the navel.
2.1.9Gāmaṁ paviseyyātiEnters an inhabited area:
2.1.10parikkhittassa gāmassa parikkhepaṁ atikkāmentiyā āpatti pācittiyassa.if she crosses the boundary of an enclosed inhabited area, she commits an offense entailing confession.2.1.11Aparikkhittassa gāmassa upacāraṁ okkamantiyā āpatti pācittiyassa.If she enters the vicinity of an unenclosed inhabited area, she commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.0Non-offenses

2.2.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.2.2acchinnacīvarikāya,if her robe is stolen;2 2.2.3naṭṭhacīvarikāya,if her robe is lost; 2.2.4gilānāya,if she is sick; 2.2.5assatiyā,if she is not mindful; 2.2.6ajānantiyā,if she does not know; 2.2.7āpadāsu,if there is an emergency; 2.2.8ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.2.9ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.2.10Terasamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The thirteenth training rule is finished.

2.2.11Chattupāhanavaggo navamo.The ninth subchapter on sunshades and sandals is finished.3

2.2.12.0Dhammikavagga

2.2.13.0Nandasikkhāpada

2.2.14Uddiṭṭhā kho, ayyāyo, chasaṭṭhisatā pācittiyā dhammā.“Venerables, the one hundred and sixty-six rules on confession have been recited.2.2.15Tatthāyyāyo pucchāmi—In regard to this I ask you,2.2.16“kaccittha parisuddhā”?‘Are you pure in this?’2.2.17Dutiyampi pucchāmi—A second time I ask,2.2.18“kaccittha parisuddhā”?‘Are you pure in this?’2.2.19Tatiyampi pucchāmi—A third time I ask,2.2.20“kaccittha parisuddhā”?‘Are you pure in this?’2.2.21Parisuddhetthāyyāyo, tasmā tuṇhī, evametaṁ dhārayāmīti.You are pure in this and therefore silent. I will remember it thus.”

2.2.22Khuddakaṁ samattaṁ.The section on minor rules has been completed.

2.2.23Bhikkhunivibhaṅge pācittiyakaṇḍaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The chapter on offenses entailing confession in the Nuns’ Analysis is finished.

2.2.24(…)

Translator’s notes

  1. I translate in accordance with the findings of Oskar von Hinüber and Bhikkhu Anālayo in their paper “The Robes of a Bhikkhunī”.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pc96:1.16.1

  2. Sp 4.1227: Acchinnacīvarikāyātiādīsu saṅkaccikacīvarameva cīvaranti veditabbaṁ, “Her robe is stolen, etc.: just the robe which is the chest cover is to be understood.” The “etc.”, ādisu, refers to the following non-offense, “If her robe is lost”.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pc96:2.2.2

  3. At this point come the remaining seventy pācittiya rules that the nuns have in common with the monks. By Dhammikavagga and Nandasikkhāpada the Pali text indicates the last chapter and the last rule of the pācittiyas. In summary, these seventy rules are as follows. Bi Pc 97–116 are equivalent to Bu Pc 1–20. Then Bi Pc 117–118 = Bu Pc 31–32; Bi Pc 119 = Bu Pc 34; Bi Pc 120–121 = Bu Pc 37–38; Bi Pc 122 = Bu Pc 40; Bi Pc 123–144 = Bu Pc 42–63; Bi Pc 145 = Bu Pc 66; Bi Pc 146–160 = Bu Pc 68–82; Bi Pc 161 = Bu Pc 84; Bi Pc 162–164 = Bu Pc 86–88; Bi Pc 165 = Bu Pc 90; and Bi Pc 166 = Bu Pc 92.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pc96:2.2.11