1. Now at that time there were found among the Bhikkhunîs some who were
[deformed in one or other of eleven ways] 1.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that a woman on whom the upasampadâ initiation is
being conferred, is to be questioned as touching the four-and-twenty
Disqualifications 2. And thus, O Bhikkhus, is she to be questioned:
(1-11) "Have you any one or other of the eleven deformities [each repeated as
above]?"
(12-16) "Have you any of the following diseases--leprosy, boils, dry leprosy,
consumption, or fits?"
(17) "Are you a human being 3?"
(18) "Are you a female?"
(.19) "Are you a free woman?"
(20) "Are you free from debts?"
(21) "Are you not in the king's service?"
(22) "Have your father and mother given their consent?"
(23) "Are you full twenty years of age?"
(24) "Are you duly provided with robes and alms-bowl?"
"What is your name?"
p. 350
"What is the name of your proposer 1?"'
2. Now at that time Bhikkhus put the questions as touching the Disqualifications
to Bhikkhunîs 2, and they who were seeking after the upasampadâ initiation
became disconcerted and perplexed, and were unable to answer.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that initiation is to be conferred in the
Bhikkhu-samgha upon a Bhikkhunî who has been initiated on the one side in the
Bhikkhunî-samgha, and has there cleared herself (from the Disqualifications).'
Now at that time the Bhikkhunîs questioned those who desired to receive the
upasampadâ initiation about the Disqualifications, without having had them
instructed beforehand (how to answer). The persons who desired to be ordained
became disconcerted and perplexed, and were not able to answer 3.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you first instruct the women about to be
initiated (how to answer), and that you then question them as to the
Disqualifications.'
Then they instructed the candidates in the midst of the assembly, and they still
became disconcerted, and could not answer.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
p. 351
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that they be instructed aside, and then questioned in
the midst of the assembly.
And thus, O Bhikkhus, ought they to be instructed:--First they ought to be made
to choose an instructor 1; when they have chosen an instructor their robes and
bowl must be shown to them: "This is your alms-bowl, this is your waist-cloth,
this is your upper garment, this is your under garment, this is your vest, this
is your bathing dress 2. Go and stand in such and such a place."'
3. Ignorant and incompetent (Bhikkhunîs) instructed them, and they became
disconcerted, perplexed, and unable to answer.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'They are not to be instructed, O Bhikkhus, by unlearned, incompetent
Bhikkhunîs. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata. I prescribe, O
Bhikkhus, that they be instructed by learned and competent Bhikkhunîs.'
4. Bhikkhunîs not appointed (to the office of doing so) instructed them.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'Let no one, O Bhikkhus, instruct them without
p. 352
having been appointed thereto. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata.
I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that a Bhikkhunî appointed to the office instruct them.
'And thus, O Bhikkhus, ought she to be appointed--one may either appoint
herself, or one may be appointed by another. And how is a Bhikkhunî to appoint
herself? Let a learned, competent Bhikkhunî lay the following motion (ñatti)
before the Samgha "Let the Samgha, reverend Ladies, hear me. N. N. desires to
receive the upasampadâ initiation from the venerable lady, M. M. If it seem meet
to the Samgha, I will instruct N. N." Thus may a Bhikkhunî appoint herself.
And how is a Bhikkhunî to be appointed by another? Let a learned, competent
Bhikkhunî lay the following resolution before the Samgha: "Let the Samgha,
reverend Ladies, hear me. N. N. desires to receive the upasampadâ initiation
from the venerable lady, M. M. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let A. A. instruct
N. N." Thus may one Bhikkhunî be appointed by another.
5. 'Then let that so appointed Bhikkhunî go to the person who is seeking to be
initiated, and thus address her: "Listen to me, N. N. This is the time for you
to speak the truth, to declare that which is. When you are asked about what has
happened before the Samgha, you ought, if it is so, to answer: "That is so;" if
it is not so, to answer: "That is not so," Be not perplexed, be not
disconcerted. I shall ask you thus: "Are you deformed (&c., down to the end of
the twenty-six questions in § 1)."'
(After the instruction was over, the instructor and the candidate) returned
together to the assembly.
p. 353
'They are not to return together. Let the instructor return first, and lay the
following resolution before the Samgha: "Let the Samgha, reverend Ladies, hear
me. N. N. desires to receive the upasampadâ initiation from the venerable lady,
M. M.; and she has been instructed by me. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let N.
N. come forward." Then let her be told to come forward. Then let her be told to
adjust her upper robe over one shoulder only, to bow down before the Bhikkhunîs,
to sit down on her heels, and stretching forth her joined palms, to ask for the
upasampadâ initiation, saying: "I ask the Samgha, reverend Ladies, for
initiation. May the Samgha, reverend Ladies, raise me up (out of the worldly
life), having pity on me." And a second and a third time is she to repeat that
request.
6. 'Then let a learned and competent Bhikkhunî lay the following resolution
before the Samgha: "Let the Samgha, reverend Ladies, hear me. This person, N.
N., desires to receive the upasampadâ initiation from M. M.; and she has been
instructed by me. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let me question N. N. as
touching the Disqualifications. Listen to me, N. N. [as before, down to the end
of the questions]."
7. 'Then let a learned and competent Bhikkhunî lay the following motion before
the Samgha: "Let the Samgha, reverend Ladies, hear me. This person, N. N.,
desires to receive the upasampadâ initiation from the venerable lady, M. M. She
is free from the Disqualifications, and is duly provided with alms-bowl and
robes. This person, N. N., asks the Samgha for the upasampadâ initiation, the
venerable
p. 354
lady, M. M., being her proposer. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let the Samgha
receive N. N., the venerable lady, M. M., being her proposer. That, then, is the
motion.
'"Let the Samgha, venerable Ladies, hear me. N. N. desires to receive the
upasampadâ, the lady, M. M., being her proposer. The Samgha confers the
upasampadâ upon N. N., the lady, M. M., being her proposer. Whosoever of the
venerable ones agrees thereto, let her keep silence; whosoever agrees not
thereto, let her speak. A second time I say the same thing." [The whole of this
paragraph repeated.] And a third time I say the same thing. [Paragraph
repeated.]
'The Samgha has conferred the upasampadâ upon N. N., the lady, M. M., being her
proposer. The Samgha agrees thereto. Therefore is it silent. Thus do I
understand.'
8. 'Then, further, let her be taken before the Bhikkhu-samgha, and there told to
arrange her robe over one shoulder only, to bow down before the Bhikkhus, and,
sitting down on her heels, to stretch forth her joined palms, and say: "I, Sirs,
N. N., who, being desirous of receiving the upasampadâ initiation from M. M.,
have received it on the one side (of the Samgha, from the Bhikkhunîs), and have
there been declared free (from the Disqualifications), do hereby ask the Samgha
for the upasampadâ." [The rest of the proceedings are the same as before the
Bhikkhunî-samgha.] "May the Samgha, reverend Sirs, raise me up (out of the
worldly life), having pity on me." And a second time do I hereby ask [&c.,
repeated]. And a third time do I hereby ask [the same repeated].
p. 355
[The rest of the proceedings are the same as in the last sections 6 and 7,
putting 'Bhikkhu' for 'Bhikkhunî,' and 'reverend Sirs' for 'reverend Ladies.]
'Then, further, let them (the Bhikkhus) measure the shadow, tell (the
newly-received Bhikkhunî) what season and what date it is, tell her what part of
the day it is, tell her the whole formula 1, and tell the Bhikkhunîs: "You are
to teach her what are the three things allowed 2, and what are the eight things
interdicted 3."'
Footnotes
349:1 Here follow a number of abnormities, deformities, or diseases, all of
which have reference to the womb or its accessories. Some of them are
unintelligible to us. Compare the corresponding section in respect to Bhikkhus
at Mahâvagga I, 68.
349:2 Of these twenty-four, eleven are the deformities just referred to, and the
rest are the same as those for Bhikkhus at Mahâvagga I, 76. The number of
questions is, in fact, twenty-six, but the last two do not refer to
Disqualifications.
349:3 For the reason of this, see Mahâvagga I, 63.
350:1 Pavattinî; corresponding to upagghâya in the case of Bhikkhus.
350:2 This is in accordance with the rule laid down in X, 2, 2, that Bhikkhus,
and not Bhikkhunîs, are to confer the upasampadâ.
350:3 This paragraph is word for word the same as Mahâvagga I, 76, 2 of the
Bhikkhus.
351:1 Upaggham. It should be observed that this expression is found only here,
and in the corresponding section for the Bhikkhus, at Mahâvagga I, 76, 3.
Elsewhere, throughout, Upagghâya is the form used for Bhikkhus, and Pavattinî
for Bhikkhunîs. The word is probably here also, as in the Mahâvagga I, 76, 3, to
be taken as a masculine.
351:2 These last two are omitted in the corresponding section for the Bhikkhus,
Mahâvagga I, 76, 3. On Samkakkhikam, see the note of the Old Commentator on the
96th Bhikkhunî Pâkittiya, and on Udaka-sâtikâ, the same on the 22nd Bhikkhunî
Pâkittiya.
355:1 Samgîti. On the meaning of this curious use of the word, see our note on
the corresponding section for the Bhikkhus (Mahâvagga I, 77).
355:2 The three Nissayas, which are doubtless the same as the 1st, 2nd, and 4th
of the four Resources mentioned in the corresponding paragraph for Bhikkhus
(Mahâvagga I, 77). The third is forbidden to Bhikkhunîs, below, X, 23.
355:3 Attha akaranîyâni. These must bear he same relation to the eight Bhikkhunî
Pârâjikas as the four Interdicts in the corresponding paragraph for the Bhikkhus
(Mahâvagga I, 78) do to the four Bhikkhu Pârâjikas.
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