Āvasathavihāra

Theravāda Vinaya

Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law

Bhikkhunivibhaṅga

The Nuns’ Analysis

Pācittiyakaṇḍa

The chapter on offenses entailing confession

Cittāgāravagga

The subchapter on galleries

48. Āvasathavihārasikkhāpada

Not relinquishing a lodging

Origin story

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,

Tena kho pana samayena thullanandā bhikkhunī āvasathaṁ anissajjitvā cārikaṁ pakkāmi.

the nun Thullanandā went wandering without first relinquishing her lodging.

Tena kho pana samayena thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā āvasatho ḍayhati.

Soon afterwards her lodging caught fire.

Bhikkhuniyo evamāhaṁsu—

Some nuns said,

“handāyye, bhaṇḍakaṁ nīharāmā”ti.

“Come, venerables, let’s remove her things.”

Ekaccā evamāhaṁsu—

But others replied,

“na mayaṁ, ayye, nīharissāma.

“No, let’s not.

Yaṁ kiñci naṭṭhaṁ sabbaṁ amhe abhiyuñjissatī”ti.

She’ll just make us responsible for anything that gets lost.”

Thullanandā bhikkhunī punadeva taṁ āvasathaṁ paccāgantvā bhikkhuniyo pucchi—

When Thullanandā returned to her lodging, she asked the nuns,

“apāyye, bhaṇḍakaṁ nīharitthā”ti?

“Venerables, I hope you removed my things?”

“Na mayaṁ, ayye, nīharimhā”ti.

“No, we didn’t.”

Thullanandā bhikkhunī ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti—

Thullanandā complained and criticized them,

“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo āvasathe ḍayhamāne bhaṇḍakaṁ na nīharissantī”ti.

“How could the nuns not remove the contents when a lodging is burning?”

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

But the nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,

“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā āvasathaṁ anissajjitvā cārikaṁ pakkamissatī”ti …pe…

“How could Venerable Thullanandā go wandering without relinquishing her lodging?” …

“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī āvasathaṁ anissajjitvā cārikaṁ pakkamatī”ti?

“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”

“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.

“It’s true, sir.”

Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…

The Buddha rebuked her …

kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī āvasathaṁ anissajjitvā cārikaṁ pakkamissati.

“How could the nun Thullanandā 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 āvasathaṁ anissajjitvā cārikaṁ pakkameyya, pācittiyan”ti.

‘If a nun goes wandering without relinquishing her lodging, 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.

Āvasatho nāma

Lodging:

kavāṭabaddho vuccati.

one with a door is what is meant.

Anissajjitvā cārikaṁ pakkameyyāti

Goes wandering without relinquishing:

bhikkhuniyā vā sikkhamānāya vā sāmaṇeriyā vā anissajjitvā parikkhittassa āvasathassa parikkhepaṁ atikkāmentiyā āpatti pācittiyassa.

if she crosses the boundary of an enclosed lodging without first relinquishing it to a nun, a trainee nun, or a novice nun, she commits an offense entailing confession.

Aparikkhittassa āvasathassa upacāraṁ atikkāmentiyā āpatti pācittiyassa.

If she goes beyond the vicinity of an unenclosed lodging, she commits an offense entailing confession.

Permutations

Anissajjite anissajjitasaññā pakkamati, āpatti pācittiyassa.

If it has not been relinquished, and she perceives that it has not, and she goes, she commits an offense entailing confession.

Anissajjite vematikā pakkamati, āpatti pācittiyassa.

If it has not been relinquished, but she is unsure of it, and she goes, she commits an offense entailing confession.

Anissajjite nissajjitasaññā pakkamati, āpatti pācittiyassa.

If it has not been relinquished, but she perceives that it has, and she goes, she commits an offense entailing confession.

Akavāṭabaddhaṁ anissajjitvā pakkamati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

If she does not relinquish a lodging without a door, and then goes, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Nissajjite anissajjitasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

If it has been relinquished, but she perceives that it has not, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Nissajjite vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

If it has been relinquished, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Nissajjite nissajjitasaññā, anāpatti.

If it has been relinquished, and she perceives that it has, there is no offense.

Non-offenses

Anāpatti—

There is no offense:

nissajjitvā pakkamati,

if she relinquishes it and then goes;

sati antarāye,

if there is an obstacle;

pariyesitvā na labhati,

if she searches, but is unable to find anyone to relinquish it to;

gilānāya,

if she is sick;

āpadāsu,

if there is an emergency;

ummattikāya,

if she is insane;

ādikammikāyāti.

if she is the first offender.

Aṭṭhamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.

The eighth training rule is finished.