Bi Np 12

12. Lahupāvuraṇasikkhāpada

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena thullanandā bhikkhunī bahussutā hoti bhāṇikā visāradā paṭṭā dhammiṁ kathaṁ kātuṁ. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo uṇhakāle mahagghaṁ khomaṁ pārupitvā yena thullanandā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ thullanandā bhikkhunī dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā dhammiyā kathāya sandassito samādapito samuttejito sampahaṁsito thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca— “vadeyyāsi, ayye, yena attho”ti. “Sace me tvaṁ, mahārāja, dātukāmosi, imaṁ khomaṁ dehī”ti. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā khomaṁ datvā uṭṭhāyāsanā thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “mahicchā imā bhikkhuniyo asantuṭṭhā. Kathañhi nāma rājānaṁ khomaṁ viññāpessantī”ti. Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā rājānaṁ khomaṁ viññāpessatī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī rājānaṁ khomaṁ viññāpetī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī rājānaṁ khomaṁ viññāpessati. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—

Getting an expensive light cloak in exchange Origin story

At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the nun Thullanandā was a learned reciter, and she was confident and skilled at giving teachings. On one occasion when the weather was warm, King Pasenadi of Kosala put on an expensive linen cloak and went to Thullanandā. He bowed and sat down. And Thullanandā instructed, inspired, and gladdened him with a teaching. He then said, “Venerable, please say what you need.” “Great king, if you wish to give me something, then give me this linen cloak.” The king gave her his cloak. He then got up from his seat, bowed down, circumambulated her with his right side toward her, and left. People complained and criticized her, “These nuns have great desires; they are not content. How can they ask the king for his linen cloak?” The nuns heard the complaints of those people, and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How could Venerable Thullanandā ask the king for his linen cloak?” … “Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā asked for this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked her … “How could the nun Thullanandā ask the king for his linen cloak? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

“Lahupāvuraṇaṁ pana bhikkhuniyā cetāpentiyā aḍḍhateyyakaṁsaparamaṁ cetāpetabbaṁ. Tato ce uttari cetāpeyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.

Final ruling

‘If a nun carries out an exchange to get a light cloak, it is to be worth at most two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins. If she gets one in exchange that is worth more than that, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

Lahupāvuraṇaṁ nāma yaṁ kiñci uṇhakāle pāvuraṇaṁ. Cetāpentiyāti viññāpentiyā. Aḍḍhateyyakaṁsaparamaṁ cetāpetabbanti dasakahāpaṇagghanakaṁ cetāpetabbaṁ. Tato ce uttari cetāpeyyāti tatuttari viññāpeti, payoge dukkaṭaṁ. Paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṁ hoti. Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā ekabhikkhuniyā vā. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ. …pe… “idaṁ me, ayye, lahupāvuraṇaṁ atirekaaḍḍhateyyakaṁsaparamaṁ cetāpitaṁ nissaggiyaṁ, imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe… dadeyyā”ti …pe… dadeyyun”ti …pe… ayyāya dammī”ti.

Definitions

A light cloak: whatever cloak is used in warm weather. Carries out an exchange to get: asks for. It is to be worth at most two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins: it may be worth ten kahāpaṇa coins. If she gets one in exchange that is worth more than that: if she asks for one worth more than that, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. When she gets it, it becomes subject to relinquishment. It should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual nun. “And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …” (To be expanded as in Bi NP 1:2.1.21–2.1.43, with appropriate substitutions.) “Venerables, this light cloak worth more than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, which I got in exchange, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” … “the Sangha should give …” “you should give …” “I give this back to you.”

Atirekaaḍḍhateyyakaṁse atirekasaññā cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.

Permutations

If it is worth more than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, and she perceives it as such, and she gets it in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

Atirekaaḍḍhateyyakaṁse vematikā cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Atirekaaḍḍhateyyakaṁse ūnakasaññā cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Ūnakaaḍḍhateyyakaṁse atirekasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ūnakaaḍḍhateyyakaṁse vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ūnakaaḍḍhateyyakaṁse ūnakasaññā, anāpatti.

If it is worth more than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, but she is unsure of it, and she gets it in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is worth more than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, but she perceives it as being worth less, and she gets it in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is worth less than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, but she perceives it as being worth more, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is worth less than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is worth less than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, and she perceives it as such, there is no offense.

Anāpatti— aḍḍhateyyakaṁsaparamaṁ cetāpeti, ūnakaaḍḍhateyyakaṁsaparamaṁ cetāpeti, ñātakānaṁ, pavāritānaṁ, aññassatthāya, attano dhanena, mahagghaṁ cetāpetukāmassa appagghaṁ cetāpeti, ummattikāya, ādikammikāyāti. Uddiṭṭhā kho, ayyāyo, tiṁsa nissaggiyā pācittiyā dhammā. Tatthāyyāyo pucchāmi— “kaccittha parisuddhā”? Dutiyampi pucchāmi— “kaccittha parisuddhā”? Tatiyampi pucchāmi— “kaccittha parisuddhā”? Parisuddhetthāyyāyo, tasmā tuṇhī, evametaṁ dhārayāmīti.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if she carries out an exchange for one worth at most two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins; if she carries out an exchange for one worth less than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins; if it is from relatives; if it is from those who have given an invitation; if it is for the benefit of someone else; if it is by means of her own property; if she gets one in exchange that has little value from someone who wants to exchange one of great value; if she is insane; if she is the first offender. “Venerables, the thirty rules on relinquishment and confession have been recited. In regard to this I ask you, ‘Are you pure in this?’ A second time I ask, ‘Are you pure in this?’ A third time I ask, ‘Are you pure in this?’ You are pure in this and therefore silent. I will remember it thus.”