Bi Pc 100100. Instructing a lay person to memorize the Teaching
Pāli / Sanskrit:Padasodhamma
A nun who teaches an unordained person to learn the word of the Buddha by heart must confess the offense.
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Explanatory Commentary on Bhikkhunī Pācittiya 100: Instructing a Lay Person to Memorize the Teaching
Background
This rule is recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the Code of Discipline for Bhikkhunīs), in the Pācittiya section — offenses requiring confession and expiation. In the Theravāda tradition, Pācittiya offenses are considered of middling severity; they are not among the gravest violations such as Pārājika or Saṅghādisesa, yet they still require the bhikkhunī to confess before the Saṅgha and perform expiation.
The historical background of this rule concerns the principle that bhikkhunīs should not take active initiative in teaching lay persons (those who have not gone forth, who have not received higher ordination) to memorize passages of the sacred scriptures. This rule reflects reverence for the sanctity of the Dhamma and for the role of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in transmitting the Teaching.
Main Content
Pācittiya rule number 100 stipulates: if a bhikkhunī actively instructs a lay person (an upāsaka or upāsikā who has not received higher ordination) so that he or she memorizes and learns by heart the words of the Buddha (Buddhavacana — the very words of the Blessed One), that bhikkhunī commits a Pācittiya offense and must confess before the Saṅgha.
The offense does not lie in teaching the Dhamma in a general sense, but specifically in the act of "actively instructing for the purpose of word-for-word memorization" (padasodhamma). The distinction here is this: teaching a lay person to understand the meaning of the Dhamma is appropriate, but instructing them to memorize the sacred scriptures word for word is considered to overstep a boundary. This reflects the conviction that the formal custody and transmission of the sacred scriptures should be entrusted to those who have gone forth — in particular, those bhikkhus who bear responsibility for preserving the Dhamma treasury (Tipiṭaka).
A lay person learning the scriptures by heart is not prohibited; however, the active initiative on the part of a bhikkhunī to teach in this manner is inconsistent with the principles of the training and with due reverence for the Dhamma.
Practical Significance
This rule holds profound lessons for contemporary practitioners.
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