Bi Pj 77. The training rule on siding with an ejected monk
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ukkhittānuvattikā
A nun who persistently sides with a monk who has been legitimately ejected is expelled.
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Explanation of Bi Pj 7: The Rule Concerning Siding with an Ejected Monk
Background
Bi Pj 7 (Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, Pārajika 7) is the seventh disciplinary rule in the Pārajika section—those offenses that lead to permanent expulsion from the community. This rule is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga.
The historical context of this rule relates to the emergence of groups of nuns who did not comply with monastic discipline. When a monk had been formally ejected (ukkhepana) by the monastic community for serious violations of the rules, certain nuns would attempt to defend or support him, refusing to recognize the community's decision. Such conduct was regarded as a direct challenge to the unity and disciplinary authority of the Sangha (Saṃgha). Accordingly, the Buddha established this rule in order to maintain order and harmony within the community.
Main Content
The rule of Ukkhittānuvattikā stipulates that: if a nun persistently supports, defends, or sides with a monk who has been lawfully ejected by the Sangha, and that monk has not yet had his status restored after acknowledging his wrongdoing (pubbakataññu—one who is grateful), then the nun is considered to have committed a Pārajika offense and must be expelled.
The determining factor of this rule is "obstinacy"—the conduct in question is not an accidental mistake or the result of misunderstanding, but must constitute a deliberate and sustained taking of sides with the ejected party. Furthermore, the monk must have been genuinely confirmed as ejected by the Sangha through a lawful procedure. If the nun shows remorse and abandons her supportive stance, she may avoid expulsion.
This rule underscores that the community is not merely a gathering of individuals, but a collective body possessing the authority to govern itself.
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