Bi Sk 1

1. Parimaṇḍalasikkhāpada

Ime kho panāyyāyo sekhiyā dhammā uddesaṁ āgacchanti.

Not wearing the sarong evenly all around

Venerables, these rules of training come up for recitation.

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo puratopi pacchatopi olambentī nivāsenti. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo puratopi pacchatopi olambentī nivāsessanti, seyyathāpi gihiniyo kāmabhoginiyo”ti. Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo puratopi pacchatopi olambentī nivāsessantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo puratopi pacchatopi olambentī nivāsentī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo puratopi pacchatopi olambentī nivāsessanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—

Origin story

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, the nuns from the group of six were wearing their sarongs hanging down in front and behind. People complained and criticized them, “How can nuns wear their sarongs hanging down in front and behind? They’re just like householders who indulge in worldly pleasures!” The nuns heard the complaints of those people, and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can the nuns from the group of six wear their sarongs hanging down in front and behind?” … “Is it true, monks, that those nuns do this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “How can the nuns from the group of six do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

“Parimaṇḍalaṁ nivāsessāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā”ti.

Final ruling

‘“I will wear my sarong evenly all around,” this is how you should train.’”

Parimaṇḍalaṁ nivāsetabbaṁ nābhimaṇḍalaṁ jāṇumaṇḍalaṁ paṭicchādentiyā. Yā anādariyaṁ paṭicca purato vā pacchato vā olambentī nivāseti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

One should wear one’s sarong evenly all around, covering the navel and the knees. If a nun, out of disrespect, wears her sarong hanging down in front or behind, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Anāpatti—

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

asañcicca, assatiyā, ajānantiyā, gilānāya, āpadāsu, ummattikāya, ādikammikāyāti …pe… (Saṅkhittaṁ.)

if it is unintentional; if she is not mindful; if she does not know; if she is sick; if there is an emergency; if she is insane; if she is the first offender. (Contracted.)