1.0.1Origin story

1.0.2First substory

1.1Tena 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 bhaddāya kāpilāniyā antevāsinī bhikkhunī bhikkhunīhi saddhiṁ bhaṇḍitvā gāmakaṁ ñātikulaṁ agamāsi.a nun who was a pupil of Bhaddā Kāpilānī had an argument with the nuns and then went to her relatives’ village.1.3Bhaddā kāpilānī taṁ bhikkhuniṁ apassantī bhikkhuniyo pucchi—“kahaṁ itthannāmā, na dissatī”ti.Not seeing her pupil anywhere, Bhaddā Kāpilānī asked the nuns, “Where’s so-and-so? She’s disappeared.”

1.4“Bhikkhunīhi saddhiṁ, ayye, bhaṇḍitvā na dissatī”ti.“She disappeared, venerable, after arguing with the nuns.”

1.5“Ammā, amukasmiṁ gāmake etissā ñātikulaṁ. Tattha gantvā vicinathā”ti.“My dears, her relatives live in such-and-such a village. Go there and look for her.”

1.6Bhikkhuniyo tattha gantvā taṁ bhikkhuniṁ passitvā etadavocuṁ—“kissa tvaṁ, ayye, ekikā āgatā, kaccisi appadhaṁsitā”ti?The nuns went there, and when they saw her, they said to her, “Why did you go alone, venerable? We hope you weren’t assaulted?”

1.7“Appadhaṁsitāmhi, ayye”ti.“I wasn’t.”

1.8Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.9“kathañhi nāma bhikkhunī ekā gāmantaraṁ gacchissatī”ti …pe…“How could a nun walk to the next village by herself?” …1.10“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī ekā gāmantaraṁ gacchatī”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 …1.13PTS 4.228kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī ekā gāmantaraṁ gacchissati.“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:

1.16.0First preliminary ruling

1.16.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī ekā gāmantaraṁ gaccheyya, ayampi bhikkhunī paṭhamāpattikaṁ dhammaṁ āpannā nissāraṇīyaṁ saṅghādisesan”ti.‘If a nun walks to the next inhabited area by herself, then that nun too has committed an immediate offense entailing sending away and suspension.’”

1.17Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhunīnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the nuns.

2.0Second substory

2.1Tena kho pana samayena dve bhikkhuniyo sāketā sāvatthiṁ addhānamaggappaṭipannā honti.On one occasion two nuns were traveling from Sāketa to Sāvatthī.2.2Antarāmagge nadī taritabbā hoti.On the way they had to cross a river.2.3Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo nāvike upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ—“sādhu no, āvuso, tārethā”ti.They went to a boatman and said, “Please take us across.”

2.4“Nāyye, sakkā ubho sakiṁ tāretun”ti.“I’m not able, venerables, to take both of you across at the same time.”2.5Eko ekaṁ uttāresi.And so they crossed individually, alone with the boatman.2.6Uttiṇṇo uttiṇṇaṁ dūsesi.When he had crossed with the first nun, he raped her.¹2.7Anuttiṇṇo anuttiṇṇaṁ dūsesi.And after returning to the first bank, he raped the other nun as well.2.8Tā pacchā samāgantvā pucchiṁsu—Later, when they were reunited, they asked each other,2.9“kaccisi, ayye, appadhaṁsitā”ti?“Venerable, I hope you weren’t assaulted?”

2.10“Padhaṁsitāmhi, ayye.“I was.2.11Tvaṁ pana, ayye, appadhaṁsitā”ti?And you, venerable, were you assaulted?”

2.12“Padhaṁsitāmhi, ayye”ti.“I was, too.”

2.13Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo sāvatthiṁ gantvā bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.They then continued on to Sāvatthī and told the nuns there what had happened.2.14Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them,2.15“kathañhi nāma bhikkhunī ekā nadīpāraṁ gacchissatī”ti.“How could a nun cross a river by herself?”2.16Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.They told the monks,2.17Bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe…who in turn told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks:2.18“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī ekā nadīpāraṁ gacchatī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that a nun did this?”

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

2.20Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …2.21kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī ekā nadīpāraṁ gacchissati.“How could a nun do this?2.22Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …2.23evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And so, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

2.24.0Second preliminary ruling

2.24.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī ekā vā gāmantaraṁ gaccheyya, ekā vā nadīpāraṁ gaccheyya, ayampi bhikkhunī paṭhamāpattikaṁ dhammaṁ āpannā nissāraṇīyaṁ saṅghādisesan”ti.‘If a nun walks to the next inhabited area by herself or crosses a river by herself, then that nun too has committed an immediate offense entailing sending away and suspension.’”

2.25Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhunīnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the nuns.

3.0Third substory

3.1Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhuniyo kosalesu janapade sāvatthiṁ gacchantā sāyaṁ aññataraṁ gāmaṁ upagacchiṁsu.On one occasion a number of nuns were walking through the Kosalan country on their way to Sāvatthī, when one evening they arrived at a certain village.3.2Tattha aññatarā bhikkhunī abhirūpā hoti dassanīyā pāsādikā. Aññataro puriso tassā bhikkhuniyā saha dassanena paṭibaddhacitto hoti.One of the nuns was beautiful and graceful, and a certain man fell in love with her as soon as he saw her.3.3PTS 4.229Atha kho so puriso tāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ seyyaṁ paññapento tassā bhikkhuniyā seyyaṁ ekamantaṁ paññāpesi.Then, as he was preparing sleeping places for those nuns, he prepared hers to one side.3.4Atha kho sā bhikkhunī sallakkhetvā—“pariyuṭṭhito ayaṁ puriso; sace rattiṁ āgacchissati, vissaro me bhavissatī”ti,And that nun thought, “This man is obsessed with me. If I go there for the night, I’ll get into trouble.”3.5bhikkhuniyo anāpucchā aññataraṁ kulaṁ gantvā seyyaṁ kappesi.Then, without informing the nuns, she went to a certain family and slept there.

3.6Atha kho so puriso rattiṁ āgantvā taṁ bhikkhuniṁ gavesanto bhikkhuniyo ghaṭṭesi.When night arrived, that man went searching for that nun, and as he did so he bumped into the other nuns.3.7Bhikkhuniyo taṁ bhikkhuniṁ apassantiyo evamāhaṁsu—“nissaṁsayaṁ kho sā bhikkhunī purisena saddhiṁ nikkhantā”ti.Not seeing that nun anywhere, the nuns said, “No doubt she has left with a man.”

3.8Atha kho sā bhikkhunī tassā rattiyā accayena yena tā bhikkhuniyo tenupasaṅkami. Bhikkhuniyo taṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ—“kissa tvaṁ, ayye, purisena saddhiṁ nikkhantā”ti?The following morning that nun returned to the nuns, and they said to her, “Venerable, why did you leave with a man?”

3.9“Nāhaṁ, ayye, purisena saddhiṁ nikkhantā”ti.“I didn’t leave with a man, venerables.”

3.10Bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.She then told the nuns what had happened.3.11Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,3.12“kathañhi nāma bhikkhunī ekā rattiṁ vippavasissatī”ti …pe…“How could a nun spend the night apart by herself?” …3.13“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī ekā rattiṁ vippavasatī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that a nun did this?”

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

3.15Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …3.16kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī ekā rattiṁ vippavasissati.“How could a nun do this?3.17Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …3.18evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And so, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

3.19.0Third preliminary ruling

3.19.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī ekā vā gāmantaraṁ gaccheyya, ekā vā nadīpāraṁ gaccheyya, ekā vā rattiṁ vippavaseyya, ayampi bhikkhunī paṭhamāpattikaṁ dhammaṁ āpannā nissāraṇīyaṁ saṅghādisesan”ti.‘If a nun walks to the next inhabited area by herself or crosses a river by herself or spends the night apart by herself, then that nun too has committed an immediate offense entailing sending away and suspension.’”

3.20Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhunīnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the nuns.

4.0Fourth substory

4.1Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhuniyo kosalesu janapade sāvatthiṁ addhānamaggappaṭipannā honti.On one occasion a number of nuns were traveling through the Kosalan country on their way to Sāvatthī.4.2Tattha aññatarā bhikkhunī vaccena pīḷitā ekikā ohīyitvā pacchā agamāsi.One of the nuns, needing to defecate, stayed behind by herself, and then followed behind the others.4.3Manussā taṁ bhikkhuniṁ passitvā dūsesuṁ.People saw her and raped her.4.4Atha kho sā bhikkhunī yena tā bhikkhuniyo tenupasaṅkami. Bhikkhuniyo taṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ—“kissa tvaṁ, ayye, ekikā ohīnā, kaccisi appadhaṁsitā”ti?She then went to the other nuns, and they said to her, “Why did you stay behind by yourself, venerable? We hope you weren’t assaulted?”

4.5“Padhaṁsitāmhi, ayye”ti.“I was.”

4.6Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,4.7kathañhi nāma bhikkhunī ekā gaṇamhā ohīyissatīti …pe…“How could a nun lag behind her companions by herself?” …4.8“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī ekā gaṇamhā ohīyatī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that a nun did this?”

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

4.10Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …4.11kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī ekā gaṇamhā ohīyissati.“How could a nun do this?4.12Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …4.13evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And so, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this: