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8. The training rule on behaving inappropriately in eight ways

Aṭṭhavatthukā

A nun who agrees to all of eight kinds of flirtatious behavior is expelled. This is the first among a large number of rules that features the notorious group of six nuns. These nuns were possibly affiliated with the group of six monks, or they are modelled on them.

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

0.48. AṭṭhavatthukāsikkhāpadaThe training rule on behaving inappropriately in eight ways

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 chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo avassutā avassutassa purisapuggalassa hatthaggahaṇampi sādiyanti, saṅghāṭikaṇṇaggahaṇampi sādiyanti, santiṭṭhantipi, sallapantipi, saṅketampi gacchanti, purisassapi abbhāgamanaṁ sādiyanti, channampi anupavisanti, kāyampi tadatthāya upasaṁharanti etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya.At that time the nuns from the group of six, being lustful and aiming to indulge in inappropriate sexual conduct, consented to lustful men holding their hands and the edge of their robes, and they stood with them, chatted with them, went to rendezvous with them, consented to men coming to them, entered covered places with them, and disposed their bodies for them for that purpose.

1.3Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them,1.4“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo avassutā avassutassa purisapuggalassa hatthaggahaṇampi sādiyissanti, saṅghāṭikaṇṇaggahaṇampi sādiyissanti, santiṭṭhissantipi, sallapissantipi, saṅketampi gacchissanti, purisassapi abbhāgamanaṁ sādiyissanti, channampi anupavisissanti, kāyampi tadatthāya upasaṁharissanti etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāyā”ti …pe…“How can the nuns from the group of six do such things?” …1.5“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo avassutā avassutassa purisapuggalassa hatthaggahaṇampi sādiyanti, saṅghāṭikaṇṇaggahaṇampi sādiyanti, santiṭṭhantipi, sallapantipi, saṅketampi gacchanti, purisassapi abbhāgamanaṁ sādiyanti, channampi anupavisanti, kāyampi tadatthāya upasaṁharanti etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāyā”ti?“Is it true, monks, that those nuns do these things?”

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

1.7Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.8kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo avassutā avassutassa purisapuggalassa hatthaggahaṇampi sādiyissanti, saṅghāṭikaṇṇaggahaṇampi sādiyissanti, santiṭṭhissantipi, sallapissantipi, saṅketampi gacchissanti, purisassapi abbhāgamanaṁ sādiyissanti, channampi anupavisissanti, kāyampi tadatthāya upasaṁharissanti etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya.“How can the nuns from the group of six, being lustful and aiming to indulge in inappropriate sexual conduct, consent to lustful men holding their hands and the edge of their robes, and how can they stand with them, chat with them, go to rendezvous with them, consent to men coming to them, enter covered places with them, and dispose their bodies for them for that purpose?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

1.11.1PTS 4.221“Yā pana bhikkhunī avassutā avassutassa purisapuggalassa hatthaggahaṇaṁ vā sādiyeyya, saṅghāṭikaṇṇaggahaṇaṁ vā sādiyeyya, santiṭṭheyya vā, sallapeyya vā, saṅketaṁ vā gaccheyya, purisassa vā abbhāgamanaṁ sādiyeyya, channaṁ vā anupaviseyya, kāyaṁ vā tadatthāya upasaṁhareyya etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya, ayampi pārājikā hoti asaṁvāsā aṭṭhavatthukā”ti.‘If, for the purpose of indulging in inappropriate sexual conduct, a lustful nun consents to a lustful man holding her hand and the edge of her robe, and she stands with him and chats with him and goes to a rendezvous with him and consents to him coming to her and enters a covered place with him and disposes her body for him for that purpose, she too is expelled and excluded from the community. The training rule having eight parts.’”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.
2.1.5Avassutā nāmaLustful:
2.1.6sārattā apekkhavatī paṭibaddhacittā.having lust, longing for, in love with.
2.1.7Avassuto nāmaLustful:
2.1.8sāratto apekkhavā paṭibaddhacitto.having lust, longing for, in love with.
2.1.9Purisapuggalo nāmaMan:
2.1.10manussapuriso, na yakkho na peto na tiracchānagato viññū paṭibalo kāyasaṁsaggaṁ samāpajjituṁ.a human male, not a male spirit, not a male ghost, not a male animal. He understands and is capable of making physical contact.
2.1.11Hatthaggahaṇaṁ vā sādiyeyyātiConsents to holding her hand:
2.1.12hattho nāma kapparaṁ upādāya yāva agganakhā.hand: from the elbow to the tip of the nails.2.1.13Etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya ubbhakkhakaṁ adhojāṇumaṇḍalaṁ gahaṇaṁ sādiyati, āpatti thullaccayassa.If, for the purpose of indulging in inappropriate sexual conduct, she consents to him holding her above the collar bone or below the knees, she commits a serious offense.
2.1.14Saṅghāṭikaṇṇaggahaṇaṁ vā sādiyeyyātiAnd the edge of her robe:
2.1.15etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya nivatthaṁ vā pārutaṁ vā gahaṇaṁ sādiyati, āpatti thullaccayassa.if, for the purpose of indulging in inappropriate sexual conduct, she consents to him holding her sarong or upper robe, she commits a serious offense.
2.1.16Santiṭṭheyya vātiAnd stands with him:
2.1.17etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya purisassa hatthapāse tiṭṭhati, āpatti thullaccayassa.if, for the purpose of indulging in inappropriate sexual conduct, she stands within arm’s reach of a man, she commits a serious offense.
2.1.18Sallapeyya vātiAnd chats with him:
2.1.19etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya purisassa hatthapāse ṭhitā sallapati, āpatti thullaccayassa.if, for the purpose of indulging in inappropriate sexual conduct, she stands within arm’s reach of a man, chatting with him, she commits a serious offense.
2.1.20Saṅketaṁ vā gaccheyyātiAnd goes to a rendezvous with him:
2.1.21etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya purisena— “itthannāmaṁ okāsaṁ āgacchā”ti—vuttā gacchati. Pade pade āpatti dukkaṭassa.if, for the purpose of indulging in inappropriate sexual conduct, she goes to such-and-such a place when told by a man to do so, then for every step, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.22Purisassa hatthapāsaṁ okkantamatte āpatti thullaccayassa.For entering within arm’s reach of the man, she commits a serious offense.
2.1.23Purisassa vā abbhāgamanaṁ sādiyeyyātiAnd consents to him coming to her:
2.1.24etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya purisassa abbhāgamanaṁ sādiyati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.if, for the purpose of indulging in inappropriate sexual conduct, she consents to a man coming to her, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.25Hatthapāsaṁ okkantamatte āpatti thullaccayassa.When he enters within arm’s reach, she commits a serious offense.
2.1.26Channaṁ vā anupaviseyyātiAnd enters a covered place with him:
2.1.27etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya yena kenaci paṭicchannaṁ okāsaṁ paviṭṭhamatte āpatti thullaccayassa.if, for the purpose of indulging in inappropriate sexual conduct, she enters a concealed place with any man, she commits a serious offense.
2.1.28Kāyaṁ vā tadatthāya upasaṁhareyyātiAnd disposes her body for him for that purpose:
2.1.29etassa asaddhammassa paṭisevanatthāya purisassa hatthapāse ṭhitā kāyaṁ upasaṁharati, āpatti thullaccayassa.if, for the purpose of indulging in inappropriate sexual conduct, she disposes her body for a man while standing within arm’s reach of him, she commits a serious offense.
2.1.30AyampītiShe too:
2.1.31purimāyo upādāya vuccati.this is said with reference to the preceding offenses entailing expulsion.
2.1.32Pārājikā hotītiIs expelled:
2.1.33PTS 4.222seyyathāpi nāma tālo matthakacchinno abhabbo puna viruḷhiyā evameva bhikkhunī aṭṭhamaṁ vatthuṁ paripūrentī assamaṇī hoti asakyadhītā. Tena vuccati pārājikā hotīti.just as a palm tree with its crown cut off is incapable of further growth, so is a nun who fulfills the eight parts not a monastic, not a daughter of the Sakyan. Therefore it is said “she is expelled.”2
2.1.34AsaṁvāsātiExcluded from the community:
2.1.35saṁvāso nāma ekakammaṁ ekuddeso samasikkhatā. Eso saṁvāso nāma.Community: joint legal procedures, a joint recitation, the same training—this is called “community”.2.1.36So 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:2.2.2asañcicca,if it is unintentional; 2.2.3assatiyā,if she is not mindful; 2.2.4ajānantiyā,if she does not know; 2.2.5asādiyantiyā,if she does not consent; 2.2.6ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.2.7khittacittāya,if she is deranged; 2.2.8vedanāṭṭāya,if she is overwhelmed by pain; 2.2.9ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.2.10Catutthapārājikaṁ samattaṁ.The eighth offense entailing expulsion is finished.

2.2.11Uddiṭṭhā kho, ayyāyo, aṭṭha pārājikā dhammā.“Venerables, the eight rules on expulsion have been recited.2.2.12Yesaṁ bhikkhunī aññataraṁ vā aññataraṁ vā āpajjitvā na labhati bhikkhunīhi saddhiṁ saṁvāsaṁ, yathā pure tathā pacchā, pārājikā hoti asaṁvāsā.If a nun commits any one of them, she is no longer part of the community of nuns. As before, so after: she’s expelled and excluded from the community.2.2.13Tatthāyyāyo pucchāmi—In regard to this I ask you,2.2.14“kaccittha parisuddhā”?‘Are you pure in this?’2.2.15Dutiyampi pucchāmi—A second time I ask,2.2.16“kaccittha parisuddhā”?‘Are you pure in this?’2.2.17Tatiyampi pucchāmi—A third time I ask,2.2.18“kaccittha parisuddhā”?‘Are you pure in this?’2.2.19Parisuddhetthāyyāyo, tasmā tuṇhī, evametaṁ dhārayāmīti.You are pure in this and therefore silent. I will remember it thus.”

2.2.20Bhikkhunivibhaṅge pārājikakaṇḍaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The chapter on offenses entailing expulsion in the Nuns’ Analysis is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. For a discussion of my rendering of vā as “and”, see Appendix on Individual Bhikkhunī Rules. For the rendering of saṅghāṭi as “robe”, see Appendix of Technical Terms.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pj8:1.11.1

  2. The Pali actually reads “the eighth part”, rather than “the eight parts”. This, however, does not mean number eight in the list, but the last of the eight to be completed, whichever that is, and thus it implies the fulfillment of all eight.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pj8:2.1.33