Bi Pc 113113. Evicting a nun

Commentary on the Nikkaḍḍhana (Bi Pc 113)

Expelling a Nun from the Sangha's Dwelling

Background

This rule is recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the Code of Discipline for Nuns), under the Pācittiya section — offenses that must be confessed before the community of monastics. The Nikkaḍḍhana arose from a specific situation within the early Buddhist community of nuns.

The act of "expulsion" (nikkaḍḍhana) here is not a formal disciplinary procedure such as Parivāsa or Patisandhikaraṇa, but rather a direct physical action — using force to drive someone out of a dwelling belonging to the Sangha. This constitutes a violation of collective ownership and a manifestation of lack of restraint, in disregard of the community's regulations.

The reason this rule was established pertains to the maintenance of harmony and order within a shared dwelling, and to respect for the rights of each member of the Sangha. A nun may not arbitrarily decide who may remain in or must leave a shared residence.

Main Content

This rule stipulates: If a nun expels another nun from a dwelling belonging to the Sangha (vihāra), she commits a Pācittiya offense and must confess it.

Pācittiya (Pāli: Pācittiyadukkaṭa) is a class of offense in which the offender must personally confess before the other nuns. Unlike Saṅghādisesa or Parivāsa, this offense does not entail grave consequences, yet it still requires acknowledgment and rectification.

The act of "expulsion" is understood as the use of physical force or the exercise of authority to compel someone to leave a dwelling. It does not include polite admonishment or the carrying out of an official decision of the Sangha reached through valid assembly and vote.

The conditions for an offense require: (1) the object is another nun, (2) the dwelling belongs to the Sangha, (3) the offender has the intention to expel, and (4) the act of expulsion actually takes place.