Bi Ss 66. Encouraging a nun to receive food from a man with lust
Pāli / Sanskrit:Kiṁ te avassuto vā anavassuto vā
A nun who encourages another nun to receive food from a lustful man is to be suspended.
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Sutta Bi Ss 6: Encouraging a Bhikkhunī to Receive Food from One with Lustful Intent
Background
This text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically the section on Bhikkhunī Saṃvara (the rules governing bhikkhunīs). The Vinaya Piṭaka records the historical occasions upon which the Buddha established precepts for the community of monastics, with the aim of protecting both individual honor and the purity of the Dispensation itself.
This rule arose from a specific situation: certain bhikkhunīs cultivated friendly relationships with men who harbored lustful intentions, and went so far as to encourage other bhikkhunīs to accept food and services from such men. This conduct gave rise to suspicion, brought harm to the reputation of the fourfold assembly, and in particular caused bhikkhunīs to be doubted regarding the integrity of their spiritual purpose.
Principal Content
According to this rule, a bhikkhunī who deliberately encourages another bhikkhunī to accept food or other requisites from a man who is known to harbor lustful intentions toward her is declared to have committed a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense (an offense entailing forfeiture and confession). This is one of the intermediate offenses in the bhikkhunīs' code of discipline, requiring the offender to forfeit the received article and to confess the transgression before the fourfold assembly.
The word avassuto (having lustful intent, having a mind tainted by desire) clearly indicates the man's intention—not something vague or debatable, but plainly purposeful in a manner that goes beyond purely offering support to the community. The act of "encouraging" (sanodayya) encompasses not only explicit speech but also implied action or the creating of favorable conditions that bring such a situation about.
This rule emphasizes that each bhikkhunī bears responsibility not only for her own conduct, but must also exercise care regarding the influence she exerts upon other bhikkhunīs within the community.
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