Bi Pc 7676. Agreeing to stop ordaining, but then criticizing it
Pāli / Sanskrit:Khiyyanadhamma
A nun who agrees when she is refused permission to give ordination but later criticizes it 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 unmarried women 76. Agreeing to stop ordaining, but then criticizing it
Origin story
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, the nun Caṇḍakāḷī approached the Sangha of nuns and asked for approval to give the full admission. The Sangha of nuns decided that she should not, and Caṇḍakāḷī consented.
Soon afterwards the Sangha of nuns gave approval to other nuns to give the full admission. Caṇḍakāḷī complained and criticized it, “So it seems I’m ignorant and shameless, since the Sangha gives approval to other nuns, but not to me.”
The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How could Venerable Caṇḍakāḷī consent to not being approved to give the full admission, and then criticize it afterwards?” … “Is it true, monks, that the nun Caṇḍakāḷī did this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
The Buddha rebuked her … “How could 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 told, “Venerable, you’ve given enough full admissions for now,” and she consents, saying, “Fine,” but then criticizes it afterwards, 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. “Venerable, you’ve given enough full admissions for now”: Venerable, you’ve given enough full ordinations for now. If she consents, saying, “Fine,” but then criticizes it afterwards, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if she criticizes one who regularly acts out of favoritism, ill will, confusion, or fear; 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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