Bi Pc 2727. Blocking robe-cloth distribution
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paṭibāhana
A nun who blocks an appropriate distribution of robe-cloth must confess the offense.
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Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law The Nuns’ Analysis
The chapter on offenses entailing confession The subchapter on nakedness 27. Blocking robe-cloth distribution
Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time out-of-season robe-cloth had been given to the Sangha of nuns, and the Sangha gathered to share it out. Just then the nuns who were pupils of the nun Thullanandā were away. Thullanandā said to the nuns: “Venerables, there are nuns who are away. We cannot distribute the robe-cloth until they get back.” And she blocked the distribution of robe-cloth. Since the robe-cloth could not be distributed until those nuns returned, other nuns left. Then, when her pupils returned, Thullanandā had that robe-cloth distributed.
The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How could Venerable Thullanandā block a legitimate distribution of robe-cloth?” … “Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
The Buddha rebuked her … “How could the nun Thullanandā do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
‘If a nun blocks a legitimate distribution of robe-cloth, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”
Definitions
A: whoever … Nun: … The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case. A legitimate distribution of robe-cloth: it is distributed by a unanimous Sangha of nuns. Blocks: if she blocks it with the thought, “What can be done so that this robe-cloth isn’t distributed?”, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Permutations
If it is a legitimate legal procedure, and she perceives it as such, and she blocks it, she commits an offense entailing confession. If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but she is unsure of it, and she blocks it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but she perceives it as illegitimate, and she blocks it, there is no offense.
If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, but she perceives it as legitimate, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, and she perceives it as such, there is no offense.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if she blocks it after demonstrating a benefit; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
The seventh training rule is finished.
The “…” is an abbreviation carried over from the Pāli original itself, called peyyāla. The early canon was memorized and recited, so passages repeated verbatim from a preceding discourse were commonly contracted to an elision mark rather than written out in full. Venerable Thích Minh Châu's translation preserves this convention. Some texts therefore look short — but that is the canonical form, not missing content or a truncated translation. The elided passages can be read in full in the preceding discourses of the same chapter.
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