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Bi Pj 64 min read

6. The training rule on concealing an expulsion offense

Vajjappaṭicchādikā

A nun who does not take any action when she knows that another nun has committed an offense entailing expulsion is expelled. This is the first among a large of rules in which the notorious nun Thullanandā was the original offender. Either Thullanandā was an exceptionally bad nun or she is a literary stand-in for the real offenders.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2BhikkhunivibhaṅgaThe Nuns’ Analysis
  • 0.3PārājikakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing expulsion

0.46. VajjappaṭicchādikāsikkhāpadaThe training rule on concealing an expulsion offense

1.0Origin story

1.1PTS 4.216Tena 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 sundarīnandā bhikkhunī sāḷhena migāranattunā gabbhinī hoti.At that time the nun Sundarīnandā was pregnant by Migāra’s grandson Sāḷha.1.3Yāva gabbho taruṇo ahosi tāva chādesi.When the fetus got large, she concealed her condition.1.4Paripakke gabbhe vibbhamitvā vijāyi.And when the fetus was fully grown, she disrobed and gave birth.

1.5Bhikkhuniyo thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ—The nuns said to the nun Thullanandā,1.6“sundarīnandā kho, ayye, aciravibbhantā vijātā.“Venerable, Sundarīnandā gave birth shortly after disrobing.”1.7Kacci no sā bhikkhunīyeva samānā gabbhinī”ti?“Could it be that she was pregnant while she was still a nun?”

1.8“Evaṁ, ayye”ti.“Yes, venerables.”

1.9“Kissa pana tvaṁ, ayye, jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodesi na gaṇassa ārocesī”ti?“But, venerable, when you knew that a nun had committed an offense entailing expulsion, why didn’t you either confront her yourself or tell the community?”1

1.10“Yo etissā avaṇṇo mayheso avaṇṇo, yā etissā akitti mayhesā akitti, yo etissā ayaso mayheso ayaso, yo etissā alābho mayheso alābho.“Her disrepute is my disrepute, her infamy is my infamy, her notoriety is my notoriety, her loss is my loss.1.11Kyāhaṁ, ayye, attano avaṇṇaṁ attano akittiṁ attano ayasaṁ attano alābhaṁ paresaṁ ārocessāmī”ti?Why would I tell others of my own disrepute, infamy, notoriety, and loss?”

1.12Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.13“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodessati na gaṇassa ārocessatī”ti.“How could Venerable Thullanandā, knowing that a nun had committed an offense entailing expulsion, neither confront her herself nor tell the community?”

1.14Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.Then those nuns told the monks what had happened,1.15Bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.and the monks in turn told the Buddha.1.16Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe bhikkhusaṅghaṁ sannipātāpetvā bhikkhū paṭipucchi—Soon afterwards the Buddha had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks:1.17“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodeti na gaṇassa ārocetī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā acted like this?”

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

1.19Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.20kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodessati na gaṇassa ārocessati.“How could the nun Thullanandā, knowing that a nun had committed an offense entailing expulsion, neither confront her herself nor tell the community?1.21Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.22evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.23.0Final ruling

1.23.1PTS 4.217“Yā pana bhikkhunī jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodeyya na gaṇassa āroceyya, yadā ca sā ṭhitā vā assa cutā vā nāsitā vā avassaṭā vā, sā pacchā evaṁ vadeyya—‘pubbevāhaṁ, ayye, aññāsiṁ etaṁ bhikkhuniṁ evarūpā ca evarūpā ca sā bhaginīti, no ca kho attanā paṭicodessaṁ na gaṇassa ārocessan’ti, ayampi pārājikā hoti asaṁvāsā vajjappaṭicchādikā”ti.‘If a nun knows that a nun has committed an offense entailing expulsion, but she neither confronts her herself nor tells the community, and afterward—whether that nun remains or has died or has been expelled or has converted—she says, “Venerables, although I previously knew that this nun was like this, I thought, ‘I will neither confront her myself nor tell the community,’” she too is expelled and excluded from the community. The training rule on those who conceal offenses.’”

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.
2.1.5Jānāti nāmaKnows:
2.1.6sāmaṁ vā jānāti, aññe vā tassā ārocenti, sā vā āroceti.she knows by herself or others have told her or she has told her.2
2.1.7Pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannantiHas committed an offense entailing expulsion:
2.1.8aṭṭhannaṁ pārājikānaṁ aññataraṁ pārājikaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ.she has committed any one of the eight offenses entailing expulsion.
2.1.9Nevattanā paṭicodeyyātiShe neither confronts her herself:
2.1.10na sayaṁ codeyya.she does not herself accuse her.
2.1.11Na gaṇassa āroceyyātiNor tells the community:
2.1.12na aññāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ āroceyya.she does not tell other nuns.
2.1.13Yadā ca sā ṭhitā vā assa cutā vātiWhether that nun remains or has died:
2.1.14ṭhitā nāma saliṅge ṭhitā vuccati.Remains: what is meant is that she remains as a nun.32.1.15Cutā nāma kālaṅkatā vuccati.Has died: what is meant is that she has passed away.
2.1.16Nāsitā nāmaHas been expelled:
2.1.17sayaṁ vā vibbhantā hoti aññehi vā nāsitā.she has either disrobed herself or been expelled by others.4
2.1.18Avassaṭā nāmaHas converted:
2.1.19titthāyatanaṁ saṅkantā vuccati.what is meant is that she has joined another religious community.
2.1.20Sā pacchā evaṁ vadeyya— “pubbevāhaṁ, ayye, aññāsiṁ etaṁ bhikkhuniṁ evarūpā ca evarūpā ca sā bhaginī”ti. No ca kho attanā paṭicodessantiAfterward she says, “Venerables, although I previously knew that this nun was like this, I thought, ‘I will neither confront her myself’”:
2.1.21sayaṁ vā na codessaṁ.“I won’t accuse her myself.”
2.1.22Na gaṇassa ārocessanti“Nor tell the community”:
2.1.23na aññāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ ārocessaṁ.“Nor tell other nuns.”
2.1.24AyampītiShe too:
2.1.25purimāyo upādāya vuccati.this is said with reference to the preceding offenses entailing expulsion.
2.1.26Pārājikā hotītiIs expelled:
2.1.27seyyathāpi nāma paṇḍupalāso bandhanā pamutto abhabbo haritatthāya, evameva bhikkhunī jānaṁ pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ ajjhāpannaṁ bhikkhuniṁ nevattanā paṭicodessāmi na gaṇassa ārocessāmīti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte assamaṇī hoti asakyadhītā. Tena vuccati pārājikā hotīti.just as a fallen, withered leaf is incapable of becoming green again, so too is a nun who knows that a nun has committed an offense entailing expulsion, but who thinks, “I will neither confront her myself nor tell the community,” by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, not a monastic, not a daughter of the Sakyan. Therefore it is said “she is expelled.”
2.1.28AsaṁvāsātiExcluded from the community:
2.1.29saṁvāso nāma ekakammaṁ ekuddeso samasikkhatā. Eso saṁvāso nāma.Community: joint legal procedures, a joint recitation, the same training—this is called “community”.2.1.30So tāya saddhiṁ natthi. Tena vuccati asaṁvāsāti.She does not take part in this—therefore it is called “excluded from the community”.

2.2.0Non-offenses

2.2.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.2.2“saṅghassa bhaṇḍanaṁ vā kalaho vā viggaho vā vivādo vā bhavissatī”ti nāroceti,if she does not tell because she thinks there will be quarrels or disputes in the Sangha; 2.2.3“saṅghabhedo vā saṅgharāji vā bhavissatī”ti nāroceti,if she does not tell because she thinks there will be a schism or fracture in the Sangha; 2.2.4“ayaṁ kakkhaḷā pharusā jīvitantarāyaṁ vā brahmacariyantarāyaṁ vā karissatī”ti nāroceti,if she does not tell because she thinks the person she is telling about is cruel and harsh and that she might become a threat to life or the monastic life; 2.2.5aññā patirūpā bhikkhuniyo apassantī nāroceti,if she does not tell because she does not see any suitable nuns; 2.2.6nacchādetukāmā nāroceti,if she does not tell, but not because she wants to conceal; 2.2.7paññāyissati sakena kammenāti nāroceti,if she does not tell because she thinks the other person will be known through her own actions; 2.2.8ummattikāyaif she is insane; 2.2.9…pe…if she is deranged; 2.2.10if she is overwhelmed by pain; 2.2.11ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.2.12Dutiyapārājikaṁ samattaṁ.The sixth offense entailing expulsion is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. “Confront” renders paṭicodesi. For a discussion of the closely related term codeti, see Appendix of Technical Terms.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pj6:1.9

  2. “She has told her” presumably means that the nun who has committed the offense has spoken about it.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pj6:2.1.6

  3. Vin-vn-ṭ 1989: Saliṅge tu ṭhitāyāti pabbajjāliṅgeyeva ṭhitāya, “For one remaining in the characteristic means: for one remaining in the characteristic of being gone forth.”

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pj6:2.1.14

  4. “Disrobed” renders vibbhantā. For a discussion of this word, see Appendix of Technical Terms.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pj6:2.1.17