Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 167Ordain One With Rectovaginal Fistula

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 167

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, certain bhikkhunīs gave full ordination to a woman whose two passages were joined together, and when she defecated and urinated, the bhikkhunīs could see this.

The bhikkhunīs heard of it, and among them were those of few desires, who were content, who practiced the ascetic practices, who were fond of training in the precepts, who knew shame and remorse, and they reproached those bhikkhunīs: "Why did you give full ordination to a woman whose two passages are joined together?"

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

"What you have done is wrong, unbecoming, not in accord with the deportment of monastics, not in accord with the Dharma of renunciants, not in accord with pure conduct, not in accord with proper behavior — it is something that should not be done. Why did the bhikkhunīs give full ordination to a woman whose two passages are joined together?"

Having rebuked them with countless expedient means, the Buddha said to the monks:

"These bhikkhunīs are a field that produces many seeds of the defiled outflows; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten meaningful clauses, up to and including the clause that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī gives full ordination to a woman whose two passages are joined together: pācittiya.

The Blessed One laid down the precept for the bhikkhunīs in this way. At that time, some bhikkhunīs did not know whether a candidate's two passages were joined or not, and only learned of it afterward; some thereupon performed the act of confessing the pācittiya offense, while others were in doubt. The Buddha instructed:

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

From now on the precept shall be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī, knowing that a woman's two passages are joined together, gives her full ordination: pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhunī: as defined above.

Two passages joined together: the passages for defecation and urination are not separate from each other.

Whatever bhikkhunī, knowing that a woman's two passages are joined together, proceeds to give her full ordination — upon completion of the third recitation of the kammavācā, the preceptor bhikkhunī incurs a pācittiya; upon completion of the second recitation, three duṣkṛtas; upon the first recitation, two duṣkṛtas; upon completion of the motion, one duṣkṛta; before the motion is completed, a duṣkṛta; and before the motion is announced, if she shaves the candidate's head, confers the ordination, assembles the community, or the full quorum is present — all incur duṣkṛtas.

A monk: duṣkṛta. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: If one did not previously know; or if one trusted the candidate's own words; or if one trusted the words of a reliable person; or if one trusted the words of her parents; and after giving ordination it is subsequently discovered that her two passages are joined — in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not offend: one who commits the act for the first time before the precept was formulated; one who is mentally deranged; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is overwhelmed by painful affliction.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Edited and annotated by: Bhikṣu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002.