Bi Pc 104104. Truthfully announcing a superhuman quality
Pāli / Sanskrit:Bhūtārocana
A nun who tells an unordained person about her own profound spiritual attainment must confess the offense.
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Bhūtārocana Sutta: An Exposition on the Truthful Declaration of Superhuman Attainments
Background
The Bhūtārocana (Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha 104) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically within the Nirvuttaka, or the disciplinary section for bhikkhunīs. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not a collection of discourses on the Dhamma but rather a body of training rules that help the Saṅgha maintain discipline, harmony, and purity within the community.
This rule arose from specific events in the development of the Saṅgha during the time of the Blessed One. As the monastic community grew, matters of ethics and discipline emerged, and the Buddha was moved to establish guidelines accordingly. The Bhūtārocana as it pertains to bhikkhunīs addresses a particular form of conduct: the declaration or public disclosure of one's own spiritual attainments to those who have not gone forth into the homeless life.
Principal Content
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, a bhikkhunī is not permitted to publicly announce, proclaim, or boast of superhuman qualities (Pāli: iddhi or abhiññā) that she believes herself to have attained, nor of lofty spiritual states—such as meditative collectedness, wisdom, or profound insight—when speaking with those who have not gone forth, or even with ordinary persons whether inside or outside the Saṅgha.
Such conduct is regarded as a Pācittiya offense, that is, a transgression requiring confession and expiation. The reason is not that the attainment of such qualities is in itself blameworthy, but rather that the manner of their disclosure violates the spirit of humility and circumspection that a nun is required to maintain. Publicly proclaiming one's spiritual attainments easily gives rise to conceit, undermines the respect of others, occasions doubt in the minds of the faithful, and transgresses the principle that one should neither praise oneself nor regard oneself as superior to others.
Furthermore, claims of superhuman qualities made without objective verification can readily generate confusion and may even cause harm to the reputation of the Buddha-Dhamma. The Buddha therefore taught that should a bhikkhunī commit this offense, she must confess it—a Pācittiya transgression—before the Saṅgha or before her fellow bhikkhunīs, so that her mind may be purified.
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