Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 120Ordaining a Breastfeeding Woman

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 120

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a bhikkhunī ordained a woman who was still breastfeeding her child, allowing her to go forth and leaving the child at home. Afterward, the family brought the child and handed it over. The bhikkhunī carried the child into the village to seek alms. When the laypeople saw this, they criticized her, saying: "This bhikkhunī has no sense of shame; she has committed an impure act. She outwardly claims to practice the true Dharma. What kind of true Dharma is this? Look at this one who has gone forth — she has given birth to a child and now carries the child while begging for alms!"

The bhikkhunīs heard this, and among them were those of few wishes and contentment, who practiced the ascetic disciplines, were fond of training in the precepts, and had a sense of shame. They reproached that bhikkhunī: "Why did you ordain a woman who was still breastfeeding her child and thus cause the laypeople to find fault?"

The bhikkhunīs went and reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha, on account of this matter, convened the assembly of bhikkhus and reproached that bhikkhunī:

"What you have done is wrong — it is not proper conduct, not the practice of a renunciant, not pure conduct, not befitting behavior; it is something that ought not to have been done. Why did you ordain a woman who was still breastfeeding her child?"

Having reproached her with many expedient means, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"This bhikkhunī is a field that plants many seeds of defilement, and she is the first to transgress this precept. From this day forward, I shall establish this precept for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten purposes, up to and including the purpose that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī ordains a woman who is still breastfeeding her child, conferring upon her the full ordination, commits a pācittiya.

The Blessed One having thus established this precept for the bhikkhunīs, there arose a case in which bhikkhunīs did not know whether a certain woman still had a nursing child or not, and only later came to know. The Buddha instructed:

"If one did not know, there is no offense."

From this day forward, the precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī, knowing that a woman is still breastfeeding her child, confers upon her the full ordination, commits a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

If any bhikkhunī, knowing that a woman is still breastfeeding her child, ordains her and confers the full ordination upon her: upon the completion of the羯磨 procedure performed three times, the preceptor bhikkhunī commits a pācittiya. Upon completion of the kammavācā performed twice, she commits three duṣkṛtas. Upon completion of the kammavācā performed once, she commits two duṣkṛtas. Upon completion of the motion, she commits one duṣkṛta. If the motion is not yet complete, she commits a duṣkṛta. Before the motion is made, if she has had the candidate's head shaved, allowed her to go forth, had her clothed in robes, allowed her to receive precepts, or convened the assembly — all of these constitute duṣkṛtas.

For a bhikkhu: a duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: If one did not know; or if one trusted the words of that person herself; or if one trusted the words of a reliable person; or if one trusted the words of her parents — and having thus ordained and conferred the full ordination, the child was subsequently brought to her afterward, there is no offense.

If the mother was uncertain and did not dare to hold and nurse the child, the Buddha instructed: "If the infant is not yet able to sustain itself independently, it is permitted to perform all the duties of a nursing mother until the child is weaned." Afterward, when the mother and the infant slept in the same place and doubt arose, the Buddha instructed: "So long as the nursing has not yet ended, there is no offense."

Those who do not offend: one who transgresses for the first time before the precept was established; one who is mentally deranged, of disturbed mind, or afflicted with severe pain.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA, PART ONE

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, fascicles 1–2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002