Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c21.s2: II. Bhikkhunī-Pātimokkha
Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c21.s2
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II. Bhikkhunī-Pātimokkha
v1.c21.s2.1
SECTION I mentions eight offences under the heading Pārājikā as against four of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha. Of the additional four, the fifth and eighth speak of offences having a tinge of sexuality (*ubhayajānumaṇḍalikā* and *aṭṭhavatthukā*) while the sixth relates to the suppression of the pārājika offence committed by a nun (*vajjapaṭicchādikā*). The seventh prohibits a nun from siding with a monk who is under suspension (*ukkhittānuvattakā*).³
v1.c21.s2.2
³ See ante, p. 302.
v1.c21.s2.3
SECTION II contains 17 rules under the heading Saṅghādisesa as against 13 of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha, of which 7 are common to both (nos. 7-9, 14-17 = nos. 5, 8-9, 10, 13 of the Bhikkhu-pā.). Of the remaining ten, the first deals with quarrelsome nuns, the second with those who admit into the Saṅgha a guilty woman. Rules 3, 5 and 6 relate to actions which may occasion moral lapses while rules 4, 10 and 11 refer to cases when a nun does not observe the Pātimokkha restrictions, viz., readmitting a suspended nun without the sanction of the Saṅgha, showing disrespects to the teaching imparted by a nun, and resenting a decision of the Saṅgha. The remaining two, 12-13, forbid nuns to associate closely with householders and conceal one another's lapses.
v1.c21.s2.4
There is no section corresponding to the Aniyata section of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha.
v1.c21.s2.5
SECTION III called the Nissaggiyā-pācittiyā contains 30 rules like the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha. It is divided into three sub-sections: patta, cīvara and jātarūpa,¹ (bowl, robe, and gold and silver). Eighteen of these rules contained in the last two sub-sections are identical with those of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha. Of the remaining twelve, the first prohibits nuns from collecting bowls and the second from appropriating a cīvara untimely. The third condemns indecision regarding the exchange of robes. Rules 4-10 prohibit nuns from trying to obtain something which the donee did not intend to give. Rules 11 and 12 limit the price of a nun's warm cīvara to four kaṃsas and that of a cotton cīvara to two and a half kaṃsas.
v1.c21.s2.6
¹ In the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha the corresponding name for the third sub-section is Eḷaka-lomaka-vagga.
v1.c21.s2.7
SECTION IV contains 166 rules under the heading Pācittiya as against only 92 of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha. It is similar in contents to the Bhikkhu-pā., and does not admit of a clear classification. The rules deal with the following: warnings against self-abuse,—prohibitions relating to food,—decorum to be observed at the house of a host,—keeping away as far as possible from monks, householders and fearful places,—mutual obligations of nuns,—shirking responsibilities once undertaken,—abiding by the vassāvāsa restrictions,—reverting to householder's habits,—size and making of cīvaras as also their distribution,—several restrictions to be observed in giving or refusing ordination to females,— avoidance of articles of luxury, dress, and manners not befitting a nun.
v1.c21.s2.8
SECTION V contains 8 rules under the heading Pāṭidesanīyā as against four of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha. All the rules are new and have nothing in common with those of the Bhikkhu-pā. These rules only prohibit nuns who are not sick from begging and partaking of (i) butter, (ii) oil, (iii) honey, (iv) molasses, (v) fish, (vi) meat, (vii) sweet milk and (viii) curds.
v1.c21.s2.9
SECTION VI contains, under the heading Sekhiya, 75 rules which are identical with those of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha.¹
v1.c21.s2.10
¹ The statement in the Aṅguttara (I, p. 230) that there were about 150 rules in the Pātimokkha may be supported by excluding the 75 rules of Sekhiya from the code. No punishment is prescribed for breach of the Sekhiya rules and so these can well be left out of calculation.
v1.c21.s2.11
SECTION VII contains four rules under the heading Adhi-karaṇa samatha and are the same as those in the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha.
Cites (1)
- Vajjiputtasutta — Pāli