Bi Pc 5050. Teaching worldly subjects
Pāli / Sanskrit:Tiracchānavijjāvācana
A nun who teaches pointless knowledge must confess the offense.
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TIRACCHĀNAVIJJĀVĀCANA
The Rule on Teaching Worldly Knowledge
Background
In the Vinaya Piṭaka of Theravāda Buddhism, the Tiracchānavijjāvācana (Teaching Worldly Knowledge) is one of the training rules pertaining to the conduct of bhikkhunīs. It is recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha—the rules of training that bhikkhunīs are prohibited from transgressing.
The term "tiracchānavijjā" means "the knowledge of lower animals," or more broadly, "base knowledge, useless knowledge." These are forms of learning concerned with means of livelihood pursued in ways incompatible with the practice of the holy life, such as astrology, casting horoscopes, calculating individual fortunes, or knowledge of external technical skills pursued solely for personal gain.
In the context of the early bhikkhunī community, nuns sometimes retained worldly skills acquired before their going forth. The Buddha's Teaching prohibits the teaching of such knowledge not because the knowledge itself is inherently evil, but because it diverts one from the purpose of cultivating the entire Noble Path.
Main Content
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, a bhikkhunī who teaches others forms of learning classified as tiracchānavijjā—knowledge of dreams, analysis of bodily features for purposes other than proper medical practice, formulas for good fortune, or techniques for an unworthy livelihood—commits a Pācittiya offense (a transgression requiring confession and expiation), one of the less grave offenses but one that nonetheless requires confession and atonement.
The crucial point here is the intention to teach. A bhikkhunī transgresses when she actively instructs others in such knowledge, especially when motivated by personal gain. If knowledge is shared inadvertently, or if one merely gives a brief answer when asked, the degree of transgression may differ. Nevertheless, a nun who is practicing rightly should not allow her mind to be drawn into such worldly matters.
This rule reflects a discerning distinction between "thaṃ vijjā"
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