Bi Pc 15

15. Anāpucchāpakkamanasikkhāpada

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena aññatarā bhikkhunī aññatarassa kulassa kulūpikā hoti niccabhattikā. Atha kho sā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena taṁ kulaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āsane nisīditvā sāmike anāpucchā pakkāmi. Tassa kulassa dāsī gharaṁ sammajjantī taṁ āsanaṁ bhājanantarikāya pakkhipi. Manussā taṁ āsanaṁ apassantā taṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ— “kahaṁ taṁ, ayye, āsanan”ti? “Nāhaṁ taṁ, āvuso, āsanaṁ passāmī”ti. “Dethāyye, taṁ āsanan”ti paribhāsitvā niccabhattaṁ pacchindiṁsu. Atha kho te manussā gharaṁ sodhentā taṁ āsanaṁ bhājanantarikāya passitvā taṁ bhikkhuniṁ khamāpetvā niccabhattaṁ paṭṭhapesuṁ. Atha kho sā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma bhikkhunī purebhattaṁ kulāni upasaṅkamitvā āsane nisīditvā sāmike anāpucchā pakkamissatī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī purebhattaṁ kulāni upasaṅkamitvā āsane nisīditvā sāmike anāpucchā pakkamatī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave bhikkhunī purebhattaṁ kulāni upasaṅkamitvā āsane nisīditvā sāmike anāpucchā pakkamissati. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—

Departing without taking leave Origin story

At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time a certain nun was associating with a family from which she received a regular meal. Then, after robing up one morning, she took her bowl and robe and went to that family where she sat down on a seat. She then departed without informing the owners. A slave-woman who was sweeping the house put that seat in between some vessels. Not seeing the seat, soon afterwards the people there asked that nun, “Venerable, where’s that seat?” “I don’t know.” “Give back the seat, venerable.” And after scolding her, they made an end of her regular meal. Then, while those people were cleaning the house, they saw that seat in between those vessels. They asked that nun for forgiveness and restored her regular meal. That nun then told the nuns what had happened. The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How could a nun visit a family before the meal, sit down on a seat, and then depart without informing the owners?” … “Is it true, monks, that a nun did this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked her … “How could a nun act like this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

“Yā pana bhikkhunī purebhattaṁ kulāni upasaṅkamitvā āsane nisīditvā sāmike anāpucchā pakkameyya, pācittiyan”ti.

Final ruling

‘If a nun visits families before the meal, sits down on a seat, and then departs without informing the owners, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Yā panāti yā yādisā …pe… bhikkhunīti …pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti. Purebhattaṁ nāma aruṇuggamanaṁ upādāya yāva majjhanhikā. Kulaṁ nāma cattāri kulāni— khattiyakulaṁ, brāhmaṇakulaṁ, vessakulaṁ, suddakulaṁ. Upasaṅkamitvāti tattha gantvā. Āsanaṁ nāma pallaṅkassa okāso vuccati. Nisīditvāti tasmiṁ nisīditvā. Sāmike anāpucchā pakkameyyāti yo tasmiṁ kule manusso viññū taṁ anāpucchā anovassakaṁ atikkāmentiyā āpatti pācittiyassa. Ajjhokāse upacāraṁ atikkāmentiyā āpatti pācittiyassa.

Definitions

A: whoever … Nun: … The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case. Before the meal: from dawn until midday. A family: there are four kinds of families: the aristocratic family, the brahmin family, the merchant family, the worker family. Visits: goes there. A seat: a place for sitting cross-legged is what is meant. Sits down: sits down on that seat. Departs without informing the owners: if, without informing a person who understands in that family, she goes beyond the roof cover of that house, she commits an offense entailing confession. If it is out in the open and she goes beyond the vicinity of the seat, she commits an offense entailing confession.

Anāpucchite anāpucchitasaññā pakkamati, āpatti pācittiyassa. Anāpucchite vematikā pakkamati, āpatti pācittiyassa. Anāpucchite āpucchitasaññā pakkamati, āpatti pācittiyassa. Pallaṅkassa anokāse āpatti dukkaṭassa. Āpucchite anāpucchitasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Āpucchite vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Āpucchite āpucchitasaññā, anāpatti.

Permutations

If she has not informed, and she does not perceive that she has, and she departs, she commits an offense entailing confession. If she has not informed, but she is unsure of it, and she departs, she commits an offense entailing confession. If she has not informed, but she perceives that she has, and she departs, she commits an offense entailing confession. If it is not a place for sitting cross-legged, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she has informed, but she does not perceive that she has, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she has informed, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she has informed, and she perceives that she has, there is no offense.

Anāpatti— āpucchā gacchati, asaṁhārime, gilānāya, āpadāsu, ummattikāya, ādikammikāyāti.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if she departs after informing someone; if the seat is not movable; if she is sick; if there is an emergency; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.