21. Ovādasikkhāpada
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena therā bhikkhū bhikkhuniyo ovadantā lābhino honti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. Atha kho chabbaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ etadahosi— “etarahi kho, āvuso, therā bhikkhū bhikkhuniyo ovadantā lābhino honti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. Handāvuso, mayampi bhikkhuniyo ovadāmā”ti. Atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhikkhuniyo upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ—“amhepi, bhaginiyo, upasaṅkamatha; mayampi ovadissāmā”ti. Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo yena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā chabbaggiye bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhikkhunīnaṁ parittaññeva dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā divasaṁ tiracchānakathāya vītināmetvā uyyojesuṁ—“gacchatha, bhaginiyo”ti. Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhagavā etadavoca—“kacci, bhikkhuniyo, ovādo iddho ahosī”ti? “Kuto, bhante, ovādo iddho bhavissati. Ayyā chabbaggiyā parittaññeva dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā divasaṁ tiracchānakathāya vītināmetvā uyyojesun”ti. Atha kho bhagavā tā bhikkhuniyo dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi. Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhagavatā dhammiyā kathāya sandassitā samādapitā samuttejitā sampahaṁsitā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkamiṁsu. Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe bhikkhusaṅghaṁ sannipātāpetvā chabbaggiye bhikkhū paṭipucchi— “saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, bhikkhunīnaṁ parittaññeva dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā divasaṁ tiracchānakathāya vītināmetvā uyyojethā”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, bhikkhunīnaṁ parittaññeva dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā divasaṁ tiracchānakathāya vītināmetvā uyyojessatha. Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… vigarahitvā …pe… dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi— “anujānāmi, bhikkhave, bhikkhunovādakaṁ sammannituṁ. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, sammannitabbo. Paṭhamaṁ bhikkhu yācitabbo. Yācitvā byattena bhikkhunā paṭibalena saṅgho ñāpetabbo— ‘Suṇātu me, bhante, saṅgho. Yadi saṅghassa pattakallaṁ, saṅgho itthannāmaṁ bhikkhuṁ bhikkhunovādakaṁ sammanneyya. Esā ñatti. Suṇātu me, bhante, saṅgho. Saṅgho itthannāmaṁ bhikkhuṁ bhikkhunovādakaṁ sammannati. Yassāyasmato khamati itthannāmassa bhikkhuno bhikkhunovādakassa sammuti, so tuṇhassa; yassa nakkhamati, so bhāseyya. Dutiyampi etamatthaṁ vadāmi …pe… tatiyampi etamatthaṁ vadāmi— suṇātu me, bhante, saṅgho. Saṅgho itthannāmaṁ bhikkhuṁ bhikkhunovādakaṁ sammannati. Yassāyasmato khamati itthannāmassa bhikkhuno bhikkhunovādakassa sammuti, so tuṇhassa; yassa nakkhamati, so bhāseyya. Sammato saṅghena itthannāmo bhikkhu bhikkhunovādako. Khamati saṅghassa, tasmā tuṇhī, evametaṁ dhārayāmī’”ti. Atha kho bhagavā chabbaggiye bhikkhū anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā dubbharatāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
Instructing nuns without approval Origin story First substory
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the senior monks who were instructing the nuns received robe-cloth, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal supplies. When the monks from the group of six found out about this, they thought, “Well then, let’s instruct the nuns.” They then went to the nuns and said, “Come to us, sisters, and we too will instruct you.” Soon afterwards those nuns went to the monks from the group of six, bowed, and sat down. But after giving just a short teaching, those monks spent the day on worldly talk. They then dismissed the nuns, saying, “Go, sisters.” The nuns went to the Buddha and bowed, and the Buddha said to them, “Nuns, I hope the instruction was effective?” “Sir, how could the instruction be effective? After giving just a short teaching, the monks from the group of six spent the day on worldly talk, and then dismissed us.” The Buddha instructed, inspired, and gladdened those nuns with a teaching. The nuns bowed, circumambulated the Buddha with their right sides toward him, and left. Soon afterwards the Buddha had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks from the group of six: “Is it true, monks, that you acted like this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how could you act like this? This will affect people’s confidence …” After rebuking them … he gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “Monks, you should appoint an instructor of the nuns. And he should be appointed like this. First a monk should be asked and then a competent and capable monk should inform the Sangha: ‘Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. If the Sangha is ready, it should appoint monk so-and-so as an instructor of the nuns. This is the motion. Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The Sangha appoints monk so-and-so as an instructor of the nuns. Any monk who approves of appointing monk so-and-so as an instructor of the nuns should remain silent. Any monk who doesn’t approve should speak up. For the second time, I speak on this matter. … For the third time, I speak on this matter. Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The Sangha appoints monk so-and-so as an instructor of the nuns. Any monk who approves of appointing monk so-and-so as an instructor of the nuns should remain silent. Any monk who doesn’t approve should speak up. The Sangha has appointed monk so-and-so as an instructor of the nuns. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’” Then, after rebuking the monks from the group of six in many ways, the Buddha spoke in dispraise of being difficult to support … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: