75. Paripuṇṇadvādasavassasikkhāpada
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhuniyo paripuṇṇadvādasavassā saṅghena asammatā vuṭṭhāpenti. Tā bālā honti abyattā; na jānanti kappiyaṁ vā akappiyaṁ vā. Saddhivihāriniyopi bālā honti abyattā; na jānanti kappiyaṁ vā akappiyaṁ vā. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo paripuṇṇadvādasavassā saṅghena asammatā vuṭṭhāpessantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo paripuṇṇadvādasavassā saṅghena asammatā vuṭṭhāpentī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo paripuṇṇadvādasavassā saṅghena asammatā vuṭṭhāpessanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… vigarahitvā …pe… dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi— “anujānāmi, bhikkhave, paripuṇṇadvādasavassāya bhikkhuniyā vuṭṭhāpanasammutiṁ dātuṁ. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, dātabbā. Tāya paripuṇṇadvādasavassāya bhikkhuniyā saṅghaṁ upasaṅkamitvā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā vuḍḍhānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ pāde vanditvā ukkuṭikaṁ nisīditvā añjaliṁ paggahetvā evamassa vacanīyo— ‘ahaṁ, ayye, itthannāmā paripuṇṇadvādasavassā bhikkhunī saṅghaṁ vuṭṭhāpanasammutiṁ yācāmī’ti. Dutiyampi yācitabbā. Tatiyampi yācitabbā. Sā bhikkhunī saṅghena paricchinditabbā— ‘byattāyaṁ bhikkhunī lajjinī’ti. Sace bālā ca hoti alajjinī ca, na dātabbā. Sace bālā hoti lajjinī, na dātabbā. Sace byattā hoti alajjinī, na dātabbā. Sace byattā ca hoti lajjinī ca, dātabbā. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, dātabbā. Byattāya bhikkhuniyā paṭibalāya saṅgho ñāpetabbo— ‘Suṇātu me, ayye, saṅgho. Ayaṁ itthannāmā paripuṇṇadvādasavassā bhikkhunī saṅghaṁ vuṭṭhāpanasammutiṁ yācati. Yadi saṅghassa pattakallaṁ, saṅgho itthannāmāya paripuṇṇadvādasavassāya bhikkhuniyā vuṭṭhāpanasammutiṁ dadeyya. Esā ñatti. Suṇātu me, ayye, saṅgho. Ayaṁ itthannāmā paripuṇṇadvādasavassā bhikkhunī saṅghaṁ vuṭṭhāpanasammutiṁ yācati. Saṅgho itthannāmāya paripuṇṇadvādasavassāya bhikkhuniyā vuṭṭhāpanasammutiṁ deti. Yassā ayyāya khamati itthannāmāya paripuṇṇadvādasavassāya bhikkhuniyā vuṭṭhāpanasammutiyā dānaṁ, sā tuṇhassa; yassā nakkhamati, sā bhāseyya. Dinnā saṅghena itthannāmāya paripuṇṇadvādasavassāya bhikkhuniyā vuṭṭhāpanasammuti. Khamati saṅghassa, tasmā tuṇhī, evametaṁ dhārayāmī’”ti. Atha kho bhagavā tā bhikkhuniyo anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā dubbharatāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
Giving ordination without approval Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time nuns who had twelve years of seniority were giving the full admission without being approved by the Sangha. They were ignorant and incompetent, and they did not know what was allowable and what was not. And their students too were ignorant and incompetent, and they too did not know what was allowable and what was not. The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can nuns who have twelve years of seniority give the full admission without being approved by the Sangha?” … “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 nun who has twelve years of seniority to give the full admission. And the approval is to be given like this. After approaching the Sangha of nuns, that nun who has twelve years of seniority should arrange her upper robe over one shoulder and pay respect at the feet of the senior nuns. She should then squat on her heels, raise her joined palms, and say: ‘Venerables, I, the nun so-and-so who has twelve years of seniority, ask the Sangha for approval to give the full admission.’ And she should ask a second and a third time. The Sangha should then decide whether that nun is competent and has a sense of conscience. If she is ignorant and shameless, approval should not be given. If she is ignorant but has a sense of conscience, approval should not be given. If she is competent but shameless, approval should not be given. If she is competent and has a sense of conscience, approval should be given. And it is to be given like this. A competent and capable nun should inform the Sangha: ‘Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The nun so-and-so, who has twelve years of seniority, is asking the Sangha for approval to give the full admission. If the Sangha is ready, it should give approval to the nun so-and-so, who has twelve years of seniority, to give the full admission. This is the motion. Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The nun so-and-so, who has twelve years of seniority, is asking the Sangha for approval to give the full admission. The Sangha gives approval to the nun so-and-so, who has twelve years of seniority, to give the full admission. Any nun who approves of giving approval to the nun so-and-so, who has twelve years of seniority, to give the full admission should remain silent. Any nun who doesn’t approve should speak up. The Sangha has given approval to the nun so-and-so, who has twelve years of seniority, to give the full admission. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’” 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: