Antovassa

Theravāda Vinaya

Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law

Bhikkhunivibhaṅga

The Nuns’ Analysis

Pācittiyakaṇḍa

The chapter on offenses entailing confession

Tuvaṭṭavagga

The subchapter on lying down

39. Antovassasikkhāpada

Wandering during the rainy season

Origin story

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrel sanctuary,

Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhuniyo antovassaṁ cārikaṁ caranti.

the nuns went wandering during the rainy season.

Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—

People complained and criticized them,

“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo antovassaṁ cārikaṁ carissanti haritāni tiṇāni ca sammaddantā, ekindriyaṁ jīvaṁ viheṭhentā, bahū khuddake pāṇe saṅghātaṁ āpādentā”ti.

“How can the nuns go wandering during the rainy season? They are trampling down the green grass, harming one-sensed life, and destroying many small beings.”

Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.

The nuns heard the complaints of those people,

Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—

and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized them,

“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo antovassaṁ cārikaṁ carissantī”ti …pe…

“How can nuns go wandering during the rainy season?” …

“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo antovassaṁ cārikaṁ carantī”ti?

“Is it true, monks, that nuns do this?”

“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.

“It’s true, sir.”

Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…

The Buddha rebuked them …

kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo antovassaṁ cārikaṁ carissanti.

“How can nuns do this?

Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…

This will affect people’s confidence …” …

evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—

“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

Final ruling

“Yā pana bhikkhunī antovassaṁ cārikaṁ careyya, pācittiyan”ti.

‘If a nun goes wandering during the rainy season, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Definitions

Yā panāti

A:

yā yādisā …pe…

whoever …

bhikkhunīti

Nun:

…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.

… The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case.

Antovassanti

During the rainy season:

purimaṁ vā temāsaṁ pacchimaṁ vā temāsaṁ avasitvā.

not having stayed put for the first three or the last three months of the rainy season.

Cārikaṁ careyyāti

Goes wandering:

kukkuṭasampāte gāme gāmantare gāmantare āpatti pācittiyassa.

when the inhabited areas are a chicken’s flight apart, then for every next inhabited area she commits an offense entailing confession.

Agāmake araññe addhayojane addhayojane āpatti pācittiyassa.

When it is an uninhabited area, a wilderness, then for every six kilometers she commits an offense entailing confession.

Non-offenses

Anāpatti—

There is no offense:

sattāhakaraṇīyena gacchati,

if she goes on seven-day business;

kenaci ubbāḷhā gacchati,

if she goes because something is disturbing her;

āpadāsu,

if there is an emergency;

ummattikāya,

if she is insane;

ādikammikāyāti.

if she is the first offender.

Navamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.

The ninth training rule is finished.