Bi Pc 158158. Leaving without giving consent
Pāli / Sanskrit:Chandaṁadatvāgamana
A nun who departs without giving her consent while the Order is deciding on an issue must confess the offense.
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Exposition of the Bhikkhunī Pc 158: Leaving Without Giving Consent
Background
In the traditional Theravāda Vinaya, the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the rules of training for nuns) was composed to protect harmony and discipline within the community of monastics. Bhikkhunī Pc 158 on "Leaving Without Giving Consent" (Chandaṁadatvāgamana) reflects a fundamental principle of Early Buddhism: the maintenance of unity and respect for the collective decisions of the Sangha.
The circumstances that gave rise to this rule are connected with Sangha meetings held to address matters relating to disciples, discipline, and important decisions of the community. When the Sangha deliberates upon and decides a matter, the act of a nun departing from the meeting without the consent of the assembly is a breach of discipline, as it disrupts solidarity and fails to respect the authority of the community.
Main Content
The rule stipulates that: when the Sangha is in the process of examining, deliberating upon, or deciding a matter, any nun who leaves the meeting without having given consent (chandaṁ adatvā) to the other members must confess this offence. This is a Pācittiya (an offence requiring confession, Pali: pācittiya-saññā), that is, an offence less serious than the graver categories but still requiring acknowledgment before the community.
An important point to understand is that the term "chandaṁ adatvā" does not simply mean asking for permission; it also carries a deeper meaning: consent and alignment with the common purpose of the community. A nun must demonstrate an attitude of respect for the collective decision by seeking approval before departing. If she unilaterally decides to leave—regardless of personal reasons—this violates the principle of Sangha-samatā (equality and harmony within the Sangha).
This offence does not apply if the nun clearly requests permission beforehand ("may I be permitted to go") and receives the assembly's consent.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.