Bi Pc 3636. Socializing with a householder
Pāli / Sanskrit:Saṁsaṭṭha
A nun who persistently engages in inappropriate socialization with lay people 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 lying down 36. Socializing with a householder
Origin story
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, the nun Caṇḍakāḷī was socializing with householders and their offspring.
The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How can Venerable Caṇḍakāḷī socialize with householders and their offspring?” … “Is it true, monks, that the nun Caṇḍakāḷī does this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
The Buddha rebuked her … “How can the nun Caṇḍakāḷī do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
‘If a nun is socializing with a householder or a householder’s offspring, the nuns should correct her like this: “Venerable, don’t socialize with householders or householders’ offspring. Be secluded, venerable. The Sangha praises seclusion for the sisters.” If that nun continues as before, the nuns should press her up to three times to make her stop. If she then stops, all is well. If she does not stop, 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. Socializing: she socializes with improper bodily and verbal actions. A householder: anyone who lives at home. A householder’s offspring: whoever is an offspring or a sibling. Her: the nun who is socializing. The nuns:
other nuns who see it or hear about it. They should correct her like this:
“Venerable, don’t socialize with householders or householders’ offspring. Be secluded, venerable. The Sangha praises seclusion for the sisters.”
And they should correct her a second and a third time. If she stops, all is well. If she does not stop, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If those who hear about it do not say anything, they commit an offense of wrong conduct.
That nun, even if she has to be pulled into the Sangha, should be corrected like this:
“Venerable, don’t socialize with householders or householders’ offspring. Be secluded, venerable. The Sangha praises seclusion for the sisters.”
They should correct her a second and a third time. If she stops, all is well. If she does not stop, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. Should press her:
“And, monks, she should be pressed like this. A competent and capable nun should inform the Sangha:
‘Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The nun so-and-so is socializing with householders and their offspring. And she keeps on doing it. If the Sangha is ready, it should press the nun so-and-so to make her stop. This is the motion.
Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The nun so-and-so is socializing with householders and their offspring. And she keeps on doing it. The Sangha presses the nun so-and-so to make her stop. Any nun who approves of pressing the nun so-and-so to make her stop should remain silent. Any nun who doesn’t approve should speak up.
For the second time, I speak on this matter. … For the third time, I speak on this matter. …
The Sangha has pressed the nun so-and-so to make her stop. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’”
After the motion, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. After each of the first two announcements, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. When the last announcement is finished, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Permutations
If it is a legitimate legal procedure, and she perceives it as such, and she does not stop, she commits an offense entailing confession. If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but she is unsure of it, and she does not stop, she commits an offense entailing confession. If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but she perceives it as illegitimate, and she does not stop, she commits an offense entailing confession.
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, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if she has not been pressed; if she stops; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
The sixth 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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