Bi Ss 66. Encouraging a nun to receive food from a man with lust
Pāli / Sanskrit:Kiṁteavassutovāanavassutovā
A nun who encourages another nun to receive food from a lustful man is to be suspended.
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Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law The Nuns’ Analysis
The chapter on offenses entailing suspension 6. Encouraging a nun to receive food from a man with lust
Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time there was a beautiful nun called Sundarīnandā. When people saw her in the dining hall, they were affected by lust, and they gave her the best food. Being afraid of wrongdoing, Sundarīnandā did not receive it. The nun next to her said, “Why didn’t you receive it, venerable?”
“Because they have lust.”
“But do you have lust?”
“No.”
“What can this man do to you, whether he has lust or not, when you’re without it? Go on, venerable, receive it with your own hands, and eat whatever fresh or cooked food he gives you.”
The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How could a nun say, ‘What can this man do to you, whether he has lust or not, when you’re without it? Go on, venerable, receive it with your own hands, and eat whatever fresh or cooked food he gives you’?” … “Is it true, monks, that a nun said this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
The Buddha rebuked her … “How could a nun say this?” This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
‘If a nun says, “Venerable, what can this man do to you, whether he has lust or not, if you’re without? Go on, venerable, receive it with your own hands and then eat whatever fresh or cooked food he gives you,” then that nun too has committed an immediate offense entailing sending away and suspension.’”
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.
Says: if she urges her on, saying, “Venerable, what can this man do to you, whether he has lust or not, if you’re without? Go on, venerable, receive it with your own hands and then eat whatever fresh or cooked food he gives you,” then she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, because of her statement, the other nun receives fresh or cooked food with the intention of eating it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
For every mouthful swallowed, she commits a serious offense. At the end of the meal, she commits an offense entailing suspension. That too: this is said with reference to the preceding offenses.
An immediate offense: there is an offense as soon as the misconduct is committed, and no pressing is required. Entailing sending away: she is sent away from the Sangha. Suspension: …
Therefore, too, it is called an offense entailing suspension.
Permutations
If she urges her on to receive water or a tooth cleaner, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, because of her statement, the other nun receives it with the intention of eating it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
If, when only the male being has lust, she urges her on to eat fresh or cooked food received directly from a male spirit, a male ghost, a paṇḍaka, or a male animal in human form, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, because of her statement, the other nun receives it with the intention of eating it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. For every mouthful swallowed, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. At the end of the meal, she commits a serious offense. If she urges her on to receive water or a tooth cleaner, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, because of her statement, the other nun receives it with the intention of eating it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if she urges her on, knowing that he has no lust; if she urges her on, thinking that she is not receiving because of anger; if she urges her on, thinking that she is not receiving because of compassion for the family; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
The sixth offense entailing suspension 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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