San Lo Bi Pn 41Nuns’ Bringing

Bhikṣuṇīnām Abhihāro Discourse - The Bringing of the Bhikkhunīs

Background

This discourse is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the original Pāli Canon, specifically in the Sāṅghādisesa section, offenses that must be declared before the Sangha. It concerns the daily rules of life for bhikkhunīs, women who have gone forth into the Sangha under the teaching of the Buddha Gotama.

In the historical context, when women were first permitted to go forth into the Sangha, the Buddha together with senior Dharma teachers had to build a detailed legal system to maintain discipline and purity. These rules were not arbitrary restrictions, but guidelines helping nuns practice safely, focus on the Dharma, and protect the honor of the Sangha.

Main Content

The Bhikṣuṇīnām Abhihāro discourse, the Bringing of the Bhikkhunīs, points out restrictions and rules related to bhikkhunīs carrying or transporting objects and articles. Specifically, this discourse identifies situations in which carrying or having things carried may violate the rule, especially in the context of interaction between nuns and others, particularly male monastics or people outside the Sangha.

This rule reflects a basic principle: bhikkhunīs should avoid situations that may cause suspicion, disgrace, or lead to ethical faults. Articles that nuns should not carry or have carried may relate to money, gifts, or things of value, because such things easily give rise to complicated circumstances.

When these rules are violated, bhikkhunīs must make a declaration before the Sangha (sāṅghādisesa), a form of public confession that helps maintain discipline and reestablish purity. This is a mechanism of self-correction in the community of practice, expressing strict discipline but also compassion.