Bi Pc 128128. Accepting an invitation of more than four months

Exposition of the Bhikkhunī Pc 128: An Invitation Exceeding Four Months

Background

This rule belongs to the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the Vinaya for nuns), reflecting the careful attention of Theravāda Buddhism to the management of purity of conduct and the social responsibilities of female monastics. In the time of the Buddha, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs lived in dependence upon the offerings of the lay community (upāsakas and upāsikās) for their requisites of food, robes, lodging, and medicine. In order to prevent the misuse of the lay community's trust, the Buddha established specific principles governing the requesting and receiving of gifts.

Bhikkhunī Pc 128 regulates the case in which a lay supporter (or a family) invites a bhikkhunī to "request requisites" for a specified period of time, typically four months or less. This is a form of paccaya (support or offering) that is limited in duration. If the bhikkhunī exceeds the stipulated period in making requests for necessary articles, this constitutes a violation of the disciplinary principles of the Saṅgha.

Main Content

According to the regulations of the Theravāda Vinaya, when a lay supporter invites a bhikkhunī to receive offerings for a specified period (for example: "I will make offerings to you for the next four months"), this invitation is called a "catumāsa-ppaccaya" (a four-month offering), or a shorter period according to the agreement. Within this time, the bhikkhunī is permitted to request the requisites necessary for her practice: food, robes, lodging, and medicine.

The offense (pācittiya) occurs when the bhikkhunī exceeds the stipulated time limit and continues to request requisites. For instance, if the agreement was for four months but the bhikkhunī continues to request support after that period has ended, she has committed a violation. This offense is classified as a pācittiya (a minor offense requiring confession before another bhikkhunī), not a more serious offense.