緇門警訓 3.32

3.32

The chapter on the bhikṣuṇī saṅgha in the Xingshi chao says: "The Sudarśana[-vibhāṣā] states that the Buddha initially did not permit women to go forth in order [not] to destroy the True Dharma. Five hundred years later, he taught the Eight Conditions of Respect and permitted them to go forth. Because they practiced according to the teachings, it was restored to one thousand years. Nowadays, this is not practiced, and so wherever one goes the Dharma is destroyed." The Huizheng ji states: "Fourteen years after the Buddha attained the Way, his maternal aunt sought to go forth. The Buddha did not allow her ordination. Ānanda presented three requests on her behalf. The Buddha instructed Qingxi (Ānanda) to convey the Eight Conditions of Respect and tell her, 'If you can practice these, you are permitted to go forth.' She said, 'I shall uphold them with the crown of my head.' As for the Eight Conditions of Respect: first, a bhikṣuṇī of one hundred years [of seniority], seeing a newly ordained bhikṣu, must rise, receive and see him off, pay homage, inquire after his health, and invite him to take a seat; second, a bhikṣuṇī must not revile or slander a bhikṣu; third, she must not cite a bhikṣu's infractions or speak of his faults, whereas a bhikṣu may speak of a bhikṣuṇī's faults; fourth, a śikṣamāṇā who has trained in the precepts must seek full ordination from the community of monks; fifth, a bhikṣuṇī who commits a saṅghāvaśeṣa must undergo mānatva for half a month in both orders; sixth, twice a month a bhikṣuṇī must seek an instructor from among the monks; seventh, she must not observe the summer retreat in a place where there are no bhikṣus; eighth, when the summer retreat ends, she must approach the community of monks to request an invitator for the pravāraṇā. These eight dharmas must be honored, respected, and praised; to the end of one's life they must not be violated."