63. Sikkhamānasikkhāpada
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhuniyo dve vassāni chasu dhammesu asikkhitasikkhaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpenti. Tā bālā honti abyattā na jānanti kappiyaṁ vā akappiyaṁ vā. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo dve vassāni chasu dhammesu asikkhitasikkhaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpessantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo dve vassāni chasu dhammesu asikkhitasikkhaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpentī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo dve vassāni chasu dhammesu asikkhitasikkhaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpessanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… vigarahitvā …pe… dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi— “anujānāmi, bhikkhave, sikkhamānāya dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhāsammutiṁ dātuṁ. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, dātabbā. Tāya sikkhamānāya saṅghaṁ upasaṅkamitvā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā bhikkhunīnaṁ pāde vanditvā ukkuṭikaṁ nisīditvā añjaliṁ paggahetvā evamassa vacanīyo— ‘ahaṁ, ayye, itthannāmā itthannāmāya ayyāya sikkhamānā. Saṅghaṁ dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhāsammutiṁ yācāmī’ti. Dutiyampi yācitabbā. Tatiyampi yācitabbā. Byattāya bhikkhuniyā paṭibalāya saṅgho ñāpetabbo— ‘Suṇātu me, ayye, saṅgho. Ayaṁ itthannāmā itthannāmāya ayyāya sikkhamānā saṅghaṁ dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhāsammutiṁ yācati. Yadi saṅghassa pattakallaṁ saṅgho itthannāmāya sikkhamānāya dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhāsammutiṁ dadeyya. Esā ñatti. Suṇātu me, ayye, saṅgho. Ayaṁ itthannāmā itthannāmāya ayyāya sikkhamānā saṅghaṁ dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhāsammutiṁ yācati. Saṅgho itthannāmāya sikkhamānāya dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhāsammutiṁ deti. Yassā ayyāya khamati itthannāmāya sikkhamānāya dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhāsammutiyā dānaṁ, sā tuṇhassa; yassā nakkhamati, sā bhāseyya. Dinnā saṅghena itthannāmāya sikkhamānāya dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhāsammuti. Khamati saṅghassa, tasmā tuṇhī, evametaṁ dhārayāmī’”ti. Sā sikkhamānā “evaṁ vadehī”ti vattabbā— “pāṇātipātā veramaṇiṁ dve vassāni avītikkamma samādānaṁ samādiyāmi. Adinnādānā veramaṇiṁ dve vassāni avītikkamma samādānaṁ samādiyāmi. Abrahmacariyā veramaṇiṁ dve vassāni avītikkamma samādānaṁ samādiyāmi. Musāvādā veramaṇiṁ dve vassāni avītikkamma samādānaṁ samādiyāmi. Surāmerayamajjappamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇiṁ dve vassāni avītikkamma samādānaṁ samādiyāmi. Vikālabhojanā veramaṇiṁ dve vassāni avītikkamma samādānaṁ samādiyāmī”ti. Atha kho bhagavā tā bhikkhuniyo anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā dubbharatāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
Ordaining an untrained candidate Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the nuns were giving the full admission to trainee nuns who had not trained for two years in the six rules. They were ignorant and incompetent, and did not know what was allowable and what was not. The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can nuns give the full admission to trainee nuns who haven’t trained for two years in the six rules?” … “Is it true, monks, that nuns do this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “How can nuns do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” After rebuking them … he gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “Monks, approval is required for a trainee nun to train for two years in the six rules. And it should be given like this. After approaching the Sangha of nuns, that trainee nun should arrange her upper robe over one shoulder and pay respect at the feet of the nuns. She should then squat on her heels, raise her joined palms, and say: ‘Venerables, I, so-and-so, am a trainee nun under venerable so-and-so. I ask the Sangha for approval to train for two years in the six rules.’ And she should ask a second and a third time. A competent and capable nun should then inform the Sangha: ‘Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The trainee nun so-and-so is asking the Sangha for approval to train for two years in the six rules under venerable so-and-so. If the Sangha is ready, it should give approval to the trainee nun so-and-so to train for two years in the six rules. This is the motion. Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The trainee nun so-and-so is asking the Sangha for approval to train for two years in the six rules under venerable so-and-so. The Sangha gives approval to the trainee nun so-and-so to train for two years in the six rules. Any nun who approves of giving approval to the trainee nun so-and-so to train for two years in the six rules should remain silent. Any nun who doesn’t approve should speak up. The Sangha has given approval to the trainee nun so-and-so to train for two years in the six rules. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’ That trainee nun should then be told to say this: ‘I undertake to abstain from killing living beings for two years without transgression. I undertake to abstain from stealing for two years without transgression. I undertake to abstain from sexual activity for two years without transgression. I undertake to abstain from lying for two years without transgression. I undertake to abstain from alcohol, which causes heedlessness, for two years without transgression. I undertake to abstain from eating at the wrong time for two years without transgression.’” Then, after rebuking those nuns in many ways, the Buddha spoke in dispraise of being difficult to support … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this: