Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 137Not Ordaining Trainees After Promising

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 137

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a śikṣamāṇā brought a robe to the monastery, to the dwelling place of the bhikṣuṇīs, and said: "Please grant me full ordination; I will offer this robe." Thereupon the bhikṣuṇī Sthūlanandā said: "Sister, give me the robe and I will confer full ordination upon you." The śikṣamāṇā then gave the robe to Bhikṣuṇī Sthūlanandā. After Sthūlanandā had received the robe, she made no effort to confer full ordination upon the śikṣamāṇā. The śikṣamāṇā complained, saying: "You told me to give you the robe and you would confer full ordination upon me. You have received the robe—why have you not conferred full ordination upon me?"

The bhikṣuṇīs heard of this, and among them were those of few desires, who were content, who practiced the dhūta qualities, who delighted in training in the precepts, who knew shame, and they reproached Sthūlanandā: "You told the śikṣamāṇā: 'Sister, give me the robe and I will confer full ordination upon you.' Having received the robe, why did you not confer full ordination upon her?"

Having reproached her, the bhikṣuṇīs reported the matter to the bhikṣus. The bhikṣus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this cause and condition, convened the assembly of bhikṣus and reproached Sthūlanandā, saying:

"What you have done is wrong, contrary to proper conduct, contrary to the Dharma of a śramaṇa, contrary to pure practice, contrary to harmonious conduct—this is something that should not have been done. You told the śikṣamāṇā: 'Sister, give me the robe and I will confer full ordination upon you.' Having received the robe, why did you not confer full ordination upon her?"

Having reproached her with numerous expedient means, the Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"This bhikṣuṇī is a fertile ground for many kinds of defiled seeds, and she is the first to have transgressed this precept. From this day forward, I shall set forth a rule for the bhikṣuṇīs, based on ten principles, up to and including the principle that the True Dharma may long endure."

The rule should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikṣuṇī says to a śikṣamāṇā: "Give me a robe and I will confer full ordination upon you," yet makes no effort to confer full ordination upon her—pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RULE

Bhikṣuṇī: as explained above.

Robe: there are ten kinds, also as explained above.

Whatever bhikṣuṇī says to a śikṣamāṇā: "Give me a robe and I will confer full ordination upon you," and having received the robe, makes no effort to confer full ordination—pācittiya.

For a bhikṣu, duṣkṛta. This is called a transgression.

Non-transgression: if, having promised to confer full ordination, one does confer full ordination; or if one is ill; or if one is no longer living together with her; or if there are not five robes; or if there is not a complete quorum of ten; or if there is a breach of precepts, a breach of conduct, a breach of views, a breach of deportment; or if she has been suspended; or if she has been expelled or is deserving of expulsion; or if making the effort would lead to danger to life or danger to the holy life—in such cases, making no effort to confer full ordination is not a transgression.

Those who do not transgress: one who transgresses for the first time before the rule has been promulgated; one who is insane, mentally disturbed, or tormented and overwhelmed by pain.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated by: Bhikṣu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Publication Committee, 2002