Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 177Adorning like a wife

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 177

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Bhagavat was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, the group of six bhikṣuṇīs themselves adorned and combed their hair, and applied fragrant perfume to their bodies. Laypeople who saw them mocked and said: "We are women who adorn our bodies, comb our hair, and apply fragrant perfume to ourselves. Yet these bhikṣuṇīs do the same!" Because of this, they gave rise to a mind of contempt and disrespect.

The bhikṣuṇīs heard of this, and among them were those of few desires and contentment, who lived the dhūta practices, delighted in training in the precepts, and knew shame; they rebuked the group of six bhikṣuṇīs: "You have gone forth into homelessness—how can you adorn your bodies in such a manner?"

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, assembled the Sangha of bhikṣus and rebuked the group of six bhikṣuṇīs:

"What you have done is wrong, unbecoming of proper conduct, contrary to the Dharma of a śramaṇa, contrary to pure conduct, contrary to harmonious behavior—it is something that should not be done. Group of six bhikṣuṇīs, you have gone forth into homelessness—how can you adorn your bodies?"

Having rebuked them with countless skillful means, the Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"These bhikṣuṇīs are a field that cultivates many seeds of the tainted; they are the first to transgress this precept. From this day forward, I shall establish a precept for the bhikṣuṇīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

Wishing to recite the precept, it should be recited thus:

Whatever bhikṣuṇī adorns herself and applies fragrant perfume like a woman—pācittiya.

B. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikṣuṇī: as explained above.

Whatever bhikṣuṇī adorns herself and applies fragrant perfume to her body like a woman—for each single application counted as one instance, it is one pācittiya.

For a bhikṣu, duṣkṛta. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerikā, duṣkṛta. This is called transgression.

Non-transgression: if there is some illness; or if one's father or mother is ill, or is imprisoned and bound, and one must bathe and comb their hair; or if a faithful upāsikā is ill, or is imprisoned and bound, and one bathes her; or if one is compelled by force. In all such cases there is no transgression.

Those who do not transgress: one who transgresses for the first time before the precept has been established; one who is insane, of deranged mind, or afflicted and tormented with pain.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikṣu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002