Bi Np 11. The training rule on collecting almsbowls
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pattasannicaya
A nun who has more than one bowl must relinquish the extra bowl and confess the offense.
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Pattasannicaya — The Training Rule on Collecting Almsbowls
Background
The Pattasannicaya is the first rule in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the code of discipline for bhikkhunīs), belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka of Theravāda Buddhism. This is a detailed set of precepts established specifically for female monastics, recorded in the Pāli tradition with a high degree of accuracy.
The circumstances that gave rise to this rule are connected to the time when the Blessed One was still present in the world. As the Dhamma flourished and spread, the number of bhikkhunīs grew steadily. Practical matters in communal life began to surface, particularly concerning the use of the almsbowl (patta). The bowl is the single possession that monastics are permitted to own — a symbol of simplicity and non-greed. However, some bhikkhunīs began to accumulate multiple bowls, a practice that not only ran contrary to the spirit of the renunciant life but also created inequality within the monastic community.
Principal Content
The rule of Pattasannicaya (Pāli: patta = bowl, sannicaya = accumulation, collecting) stipulates that a bhikkhunī is permitted to own only a single almsbowl. Should a bhikkhunī possess two or more bowls without relinquishing them, this constitutes an offense of Pācittiya — a transgression requiring confession and renewed training, a category of offense that is not among the gravest but nonetheless requires correction.
Upon the discovery that multiple bowls are being held, the bhikkhunī must carry out two steps: first, she must relinquish the surplus bowls by handing them over to another bhikkhunī or by placing them into the communal fund of the Saṅgha; second, she must confess her fault before the community of bhikkhunīs in accordance with the formal procedure. This act of confession (paṭidesanā) is not a matter of shame or punishment, but rather a process of purifying the mind and renewing one's commitment to the observance of the precepts.
This rule further clarifies that the possession of a bowl is permissible in cases of genuine need — namely, when the old bowl has become no longer serviceable.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.