Bi Pc 59

59. Ovādūpasaṅkamanasikkhāpada

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchanti ovādampi na yācanti. Bhikkhū ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchissanti ovādampi na yācissantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchanti ovādampi na yācantī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchissanti ovādampi na yācissanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—

Not seeking the instruction Origin story

At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the nuns did not enquire about the observance day nor ask for the instruction. The monks complained and criticized them, “How can the nuns not enquire about the observance day nor ask for the instruction?” … “Is it true, monks, that the nuns don’t do this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “How can the nuns not do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

“Anvaddhamāsaṁ bhikkhuniyā bhikkhusaṅghato dve dhammā paccāsīsitabbā—uposathapucchakañca ovādūpasaṅkamanañca. Taṁ atikkāmentiyā pācittiyan”ti.

Final ruling

‘Every half-month a nun should seek two things from the Sangha of monks: asking it about the observance day and going to it for the instruction. If she lets the half-month pass, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Anvaddhamāsanti anuposathikaṁ. Uposatho nāma dve uposathā— cātuddasiko ca pannarasiko ca. Ovādo nāma aṭṭha garudhammā. “Uposathampi na pucchissāmi ovādampi na yācissāmī”ti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte āpatti pācittiyassa.

Definitions

Every half-month: every observance day. The observance day: there are two observance days: the fourteenth and the fifteenth day of the lunar half-month. The instruction: the eight important principles. If she thinks, “I won’t enquire about the observance day, nor ask for the instruction,” then by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, she commits an offense entailing confession.

Anāpatti—

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

sati antarāye, pariyesitvā dutiyikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ na labhati, gilānāya, āpadāsu, ummattikāya, ādikammikāyāti.

if there is an obstacle; if she searches for a companion nun, but does not find one; if she is sick; if there is an emergency; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.