Bi Pc 116116. Pouring water with living beings in it
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sappāṇaka
A nun who pours water containing living beings onto the ground must confess the offense.
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Commentary on Bhikkhunī Pc 116: Pouring Water Containing Living Beings
Background
Bhikkhunī Pc 116 belongs to the Pātimokkha of the Bhikkhunī Sangha—the collection of fundamental rules of conduct that bhikkhunīs must observe in their monastic life. The Pātimokkha is recited aloud every fortnight of the lunar calendar so that those who have committed offenses may confess them. This rule 116 falls within the Pācittiya section—offenses of a lighter nature that require confession and acknowledgment (equivalent to presenting the matter before another bhikkhunī as witness to the confession).
The appearance of this rule in the Vinaya Piṭaka reflects the living context of the early Buddhist Sangha, where matters of daily life were shaped into rules of practice with the purpose of spiritual education.
Main Content
Rule 116 stipulates that if a bhikkhunī pours water containing living beings (sappāṇaka jala) onto the ground or elsewhere, she must confess—that is, she must acknowledge and express remorse for this action before another bhikkhunī. This action is regarded as a Pācittiya—an offense that is not gravely serious but requires remedying.
The basis of this rule derives from the First Precept (Sīla)—the prohibition against taking life (Pali: Pāṇātipāta). When pouring water that contains small living beings—minute forms of life (paramāṇu pāṇa) or living creatures of the present existence (jīva)—a bhikkhunī inadvertently or intentionally causes those beings to die, thereby violating the principle of non-killing. Although this does not constitute killing with direct intention (theyyasaññā paccayā), it nonetheless constitutes an action producing the result of killing, and therefore requires confession.
Practical Significance
The deeper significance of this rule lies not in punishment or condemnation, but in the cultivation of mind (citta bhāvanā) and loving-kindness (mettā bhāvanā) of the monastic practitioner. Through observing this rule, a bhikkhunī is trained in comprehensive mindful attention—not only avoiding intentional killing, but also developing sensitivity to the unintentional effects of her actions upon other living beings.
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