Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pd 1Receiving a Nun’s Food
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paṭhamapāṭidesanīya
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Paṭhamapāṭidesanīya Sutta: The First Self-Declaration of Fault
Background
Paṭhamapāṭidesanīya, the First Self-Declaration of Fault, is a rule of monastic discipline in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This sutta does not belong to the main discourses of the Sutta Piṭaka, but to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Basket of Discipline, where rules concerning training, restraint among the fourfold assembly, and the handling of offenses are preserved.
The history of the formation of this rule is linked to specific events in the bhikkhunī community during the Buddha’s time. Rules and origin stories of offenses were recorded to educate and maintain the spirit of the Sangha, especially to protect the reverence and trust of the Buddhist community.
Paṭhamapāṭidesanīya belongs to the category of Pāṭidesanīya, rules requiring self-declaration. These are offenses that, if a bhikkhunī commits them, must be declared by herself before the assembly or before other bhikkhunīs, in order to preserve the steadiness of practice.
Main Content
Although the descriptive information provided does not contain the full detailed content of the sutta, according to the structure of the Pāṭidesanīya Dhammas in the Vinaya Piṭaka, this rule concerns a bhikkhunī receiving food from devotees or the community in an improper way, or in a way that might lower the purity of the Sangha.
Specifically, Paṭhamapāṭidesanīya is usually connected with situations such as receiving food privately, receiving gifts without an intermediary, or participating in exchanges that may raise questions about the purity of the Sangha. The Buddha established these rules to ensure that bhikkhunīs always maintain a pure image, without causing suspicion or harming the community’s trust in the Sangha.
When this rule is violated, the bhikkhunī must declare the fault herself before the Sangha or before other bhikkhunīs. This act of self-declaration is not only a penalty but also a means of training: it helps the bhikkhunī recognize the fault clearly, avoid repeating it, and gradually perfect her spiritual life.
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