雜譬喻經 1.72

1.72

Formerly, there was a noble woman whose face was upright and whose deportment was exceptional. She went forth from the household life, practiced, and attained the path of the worthy. While walking alone among the forest trees outside the city, she met a man on the road who, seeing this bhikṣuṇī’s upright countenance, became deeply infatuated with her. Standing directly before her, he detained her and uttered a vow with his mouth: “If you do not submit to me, I will not let you pass.” The bhikṣuṇī then explained to him the Dharma of the foul and impure: “In the head, eyes, hands, and feet, what is there to crave?” That man then said to the bhikṣuṇī, “I love the beauty of your eyes.” At that time, the bhikṣuṇī gouged out one of her eyes with her right hand and showed it to the man, blood flowing over her face. Seeing this, the man’s lustful intentions ceased at once. Holding the single eye in her hand, the bhikṣuṇī returned to the Buddha’s place, restored the eye to its original position, and explained the matter fully to the Buddha. Because of this, a precept was formulated: from that time forth, bhikṣuṇīs were not permitted to dwell outside the city or walk alone outside villages.