1.1.0.1Origin story

1.1.0.2First substory

1.1.1PTS 3.208Tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove,1.1.2Tena kho pana samayena uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.the nun Uppalavaṇṇā was staying at Sāvatthī.1.1.3Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.One morning she robed up, took her bowl and robe, and entered Sāvatthī to collect almsfood.1.1.4Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami divāvihārāya.When she had completed her almsround, eaten her meal, and returned, she went to the Blind Men’s Grove1.1.5Andhavanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.where she sat down at the foot of a tree for the day’s meditation.

1.1.6Tena kho pana samayena corā katakammā gāviṁ vadhitvā maṁsaṁ gahetvā andhavanaṁ pavisiṁsu.Just then some bandits who had stolen and slaughtered a cow were taking the meat to the Blind Men’s Grove.1.1.7Addasā kho coragāmaṇiko uppalavaṇṇaṁ bhikkhuniṁ aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisinnaṁ.The head bandit saw Uppalavaṇṇā sitting at the foot of that tree.1.1.8Disvānassa etadahosi—He thought,1.1.9“sace me puttabhātukā passissanti viheṭhissanti imaṁ bhikkhunin”ti“If my sons and brothers see this nun, they’ll harass her,”1.1.10aññena maggena agamāsi.and he took a different path.1.1.11Atha kho so coragāmaṇiko maṁse pakke varamaṁsāni gahetvā paṇṇapuṭaṁ bandhitvā uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā avidūre rukkhe ālaggetvā—Soon afterwards when the meat was cooked, he took the best part, tied it up with a palm-leaf wrap, hung it from a tree not far from Uppalavaṇṇā, and said,1.1.12“yo passati samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā dinnaṁyeva haratū”ti, vatvā pakkāmi.“Whatever ascetic or brahmin sees this gift, please take it.” And he left.

1.1.13Assosi kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī samādhimhā vuṭṭhahitvā tassa coragāmaṇikassa imaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānassa.Uppalavaṇṇā had just come out from the stillness of meditation when she heard the head bandit making that statement.1.1.14Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī taṁ maṁsaṁ gahetvā upassayaṁ agamāsi.She took the meat and returned to the nunnery.1.1.15Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī tassā rattiyā accayena taṁ maṁsaṁ sampādetvā uttarāsaṅgena bhaṇḍikaṁ bandhitvā vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā veḷuvane paccuṭṭhāsi.The following morning she prepared the meat and made it into a bundle with her upper robe. She then rose into the air and landed in the Bamboo Grove.

1.2.1PTS 3.209Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā gāmaṁ piṇḍāya paviṭṭho hoti.When she arrived, the Buddha had already gone to the village for alms,1.2.2Āyasmā udāyī ohiyyako hoti vihārapālo.but Venerable Udāyī had been left behind to look after the dwellings.1.2.3Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca—Uppalavaṇṇā approached Udāyī and said,1.2.4“kahaṁ, bhante, bhagavā”ti?“Sir, where’s the Buddha?”

1.2.5“Paviṭṭho, bhagini, bhagavā gāmaṁ piṇḍāyā”ti.“He’s gone to the village for alms.”

1.2.6“Imaṁ, bhante, maṁsaṁ bhagavato dehī”ti.“Please give this meat to the Buddha.”

1.2.7“Santappito tayā, bhagini, bhagavā maṁsena.“You’ll please the Buddha with that meat.1.2.8Sace me tvaṁ antaravāsakaṁ dadeyyāsi, evaṁ ahampi santappito bhaveyyaṁ antaravāsakenā”ti.If you give me your sarong, you’ll please me too.”

1.2.9“Mayaṁ kho, bhante, mātugāmā nāma kicchalābhā. Idañca me antimaṁ pañcamaṁ cīvaraṁ.“It’s hard for women to get material support, and this is one of my five robes. I don’t have another.1.2.10Nāhaṁ dassāmī”ti.I can’t give it away.”

1.2.11“Seyyathāpi, bhagini, puriso hatthiṁ datvā kacche sajjeyya;“Sister, just as a man giving an elephant might decorate it with a girdle,1.2.12evameva kho tvaṁ, bhagini, bhagavato maṁsaṁ datvā mayi antaravāsake sajjasī”ti.so should you, when giving meat to the Buddha, decorate me with your sarong.”

1.2.13Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī āyasmatā udāyinā nippīḷiyamānā antaravāsakaṁ datvā upassayaṁ agamāsi.Being pressured by Udāyī, Uppalavaṇṇā gave him her sarong and then returned to the nunnery.1.2.14Bhikkhuniyo uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā pattacīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇhantiyo uppalavaṇṇaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ—The nuns who received Uppalavaṇṇā’s bowl and robe asked her1.2.15“kahaṁ te, ayye, antaravāsako”ti?where her sarong was.1.2.16Uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.And she told them what had happened.1.2.17Bhikkhuniyo ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns complained and criticized Udāyī,1.2.18“kathañhi nāma ayyo udāyī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ paṭiggahessati kicchalābho mātugāmo”ti.“How could Venerable Udāyī receive a robe from a nun? It’s hard for women to get material support.”

1.2.19Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.The nuns told the monks.1.2.20Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The monks of few desires complained and criticized Udāyī,1.2.21“kathañhi nāma āyasmā udāyī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ paṭiggahessatī”ti.“How could Venerable Udāyī receive a robe from a nun?”

1.2.22Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe…After rebuking him in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned Udāyī:1.2.23“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, udāyi, bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ paṭiggahesī”ti?“Is it true, Udāyī, that you did this?”

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

1.2.25“Ñātikā te, udāyi, aññātikā”ti?“Is she a relative of yours?”

1.2.26“Aññātikā, bhagavā”ti.“No.”

1.2.27“Aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātikāya na jānāti patirūpaṁ vā appatirūpaṁ vā santaṁ vā asantaṁ vā.“Foolish man, a man and a woman who are unrelated don’t know what’s appropriate and inappropriate, what’s good and bad, in dealing with each other.1.2.28Tattha nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato cīvaraṁ paṭiggahessasi.And still you did this.1.2.29Netaṁ moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.2.30evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.2.31.0Preliminary ruling

1.2.31.1“Yo pana bhikkhu aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato cīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇheyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk receives a robe directly from an unrelated nun, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

1.2.32Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks.

2.0Second substory

2.1Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū kukkuccāyantā bhikkhunīnaṁ pārivattakacīvaraṁ na paṭiggaṇhanti.Then, being afraid of wrongdoing, the monks did not receive robes from nuns even in exchange.2.2Bhikkhuniyo ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns complained and criticized them,2.3“kathañhi nāma ayyā amhākaṁ pārivattakacīvaraṁ na paṭiggahessantī”ti.“How can they not receive robes from us in exchange?”

2.4Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ ujjhāyantīnaṁ khiyyantīnaṁ vipācentīnaṁ.The monks heard the criticism of those nuns2.5Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.and they told the Buddha.2.6Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

2.7“anujānāmi, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ pārivattakaṁ paṭiggahetuṁ— bhikkhussa, bhikkhuniyā, sikkhamānāya, sāmaṇerassa, sāmaṇeriyā.“Monks, I allow you to receive things in exchange from five kinds of people: monks, nuns, trainee nuns, novice monks, and novice nuns.2.8Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ pārivattakaṁ paṭiggahetuṁ.

2.9Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: