Bi Pj 88. The training rule on behaving inappropriately in eight ways
Pāli / Sanskrit:Aṭṭhavatthukā
A nun who agrees to all of eight kinds of flirtatious behavior is expelled. This is the first among a large number of rules that features the notorious group of six nuns. These nuns were possibly affiliated with the group of six monks, or they are modelled on them.
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The Aṭṭhavatthukā (Eight Grounds for Misconduct): An Exposition
Background
This training rule appears in the Bhikkhunī Pāṭimokkha, the section of the Vinaya Piṭaka within the Pāli Canon, among the group of Pārājika rules — that is, those violations which result in expulsion from the Sangha. The text records an incident involving the well-known group of six bhikkhunīs, who transgressed the rules of conduct governing nuns in early Buddhism.
This group of six bhikkhunīs had a history of causing disruption within the community of female monastics. They may have been connected to, or modeled upon, the group of six bhikkhus (male monastics) equally renowned for their disruptive conduct. The historical context indicates that these rules were established in order to protect the integrity of the bhikkhunī Sangha and to uphold high moral discipline within the religious community.
Main Content
The Aṭṭhavatthukā rule censures eight categories of conduct unbefitting the status of a bhikkhunī. These are specifically actions that display flirtatious behavior, the stirring up of romantic sentiment, or overly familiar interaction of a nature that gives expression to sensual desire. These eight categories of transgression encompass forms of improper comportment toward men, or the expression of a wish to seek romantic attention.
Notably, this rule does not censure a single act alone, but rather the full assent to all eight categories of inappropriate behavior. When a bhikkhunī acknowledges and continues to engage in these eight types of suggestive conduct, she is regarded as having committed a grave offense and is expelled (Pārājika). This is the most severe penalty within the Vinaya system, and it is irrevocable.
The text records clearly that the bhikkhunīs among the famous group of six persisted in these actions despite repeated admonitions. The resoluteness of early Buddhism in imposing this penalty reflects its determination to preserve the purity of the bhikkhunī community.
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