Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 166Ordain Hermaphrodite

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 166

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Bhagavān was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, at the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a bhikkhunī ordained a person of two forms. While this person was attending to the calls of nature, a bhikkhunī saw them and reported the matter to the other bhikkhunīs.

Among the bhikkhunīs who heard of this, there were those who were of few desires, who were content, who practised the ascetic practices, who delighted in the training rules, and who had a sense of shame. These bhikkhunīs reproached the other bhikkhunīs: "Why do you ordain a person of two forms?"

The bhikkhunīs then reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of the Saṅgha of bhikkhus, and rebuked the bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dharma of śramaṇas, not in accordance with pure conduct, not in accordance with appropriate behavior — it is something that should not have been done. Why did the bhikkhunīs ordain a person of two forms?"

Having rebuked them with numerous expedient means, the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus:

"These bhikkhunīs are a field for planting many seeds of the tainted; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a training rule for the bhikkhunīs, embodying ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase that the true Dharma may long endure."

The rule should be proclaimed as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī ordains a person of two forms with full ordination, it is a pācittiya.

The Blessed One laid down the training rule for the bhikkhunīs in this way. There were, however, bhikkhunīs who did not know whether a person was of two forms or not. They came to know of it only afterward, and so they performed the confession procedure for pācittiya, or they were in doubt. The Buddha instructed:

"Not knowing, there is no offense."

From this day forward, the rule shall be proclaimed as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī, knowing a person to be of two forms, confers full ordination upon them, it is a pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhunī: as defined above.

Two forms: the male form and the female form.

Whatever bhikkhunī, knowing a person to be of two forms, grants them full ordination — when the kammavācā has been completed three times, the preceptress bhikkhunī incurs a pācittiya; when the kammavācā has been completed twice, three duṣkṛtas; when the kammavācā has been completed once, two duṣkṛtas; when the announcement has been completed, one duṣkṛta; before the announcement is completed, one duṣkṛta; before the announcement has begun, if one shaves the head and administers the ordination, convenes the assembly, and the assembly is complete, all incur duṣkṛtas.

For a bhikkhu, it is a duṣkṛta. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: If one did not know beforehand, or if one trusted the word of that person, or trusted the word of a trustworthy person, or trusted the words of their parents, and conferred full ordination, only to learn afterward that the person had become one of two forms — there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: the first offender before the rule was laid down; one who is insane, of disturbed mind, or suffering from extreme pain and distress.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. FOUR-PART 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, volumes 1 and 2)

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002