Bi Pc 8383. Ordaining two in the same year
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ekavassa
A nun who ordains two women in one year 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 83. Ordaining two in the same year
Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the nuns were giving the full admission to two women in the same year, and the nunnery still did not have sufficient capacity. People complained and criticized them, “How can the nuns give the full admission to two women in the same year, when the nunnery still doesn’t have sufficient capacity?”
The nuns heard the complaints of those people. The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can nuns give the full admission to two women in the same year?” … “Is it true, monks, that the nuns do this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
The Buddha rebuked them … “How can nuns do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
‘If a nun gives the full admission to two women in the same year, 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.
In the same year: in one twelve-month period. Gives the full admission to two women: gives the full ordination to two women. If, intending to give the full admission to two women, she searches for a group, a teacher, a bowl, or a robe, or she establishes a monastery zone, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
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, the preceptor commits an offense entailing confession, and the group and the teacher commit an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if she gives the full admission to one woman every other year; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
The thirteenth training rule is finished.
The eighth subchapter on unmarried women 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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