Bu Pd 22. Letting a nun give directions to donors
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyapāṭidesanīya
A monk at an invitational meal who does not tell a nun to stop directing the distribution of food must acknowledge the offense.
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Exposition of the Dutiyapāṭidesanīya
Allowing a Nun to Direct the Distribution of Food
Background
The Dutiyapāṭidesanīya is the second training rule within the Pāṭidesanīya section (rules requiring acknowledgment), found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This rule was established in order to maintain discipline and proper standards during communal invitation meals (bhattuddesana) of the monastic community of monks and nuns.
During the time of the Buddha, householders would often prepare formal meals to offer to the Sangha. On such occasions, the distribution of food, drink, and other requisites needed to be managed in an orderly and equitable manner. The question that arose was: who should be responsible for directing this process, and whether members of one gender should oversee distribution for members of the other.
Main Content
This rule stipulates that when an invitation meal is being held, if a nun (bhikkhunī) stands up and directs the manner in which food is distributed to those present, then the monks (bhikkhus) present must skillfully inform the nun to desist, or intervene to correct the situation.
Specifically, if a monk fails to prevent this or fails to point out the impropriety of a nun directing such proceedings, he is considered to have violated the Pāṭidesanīya rule. The fault here does not lie with the nun herself for acting, but rather with the monks who stand by without speaking or intervening to uphold respect for the monastic way of life.
This rule reflects a fundamental principle within the Vinaya: male and female members of the Sangha have distinct roles and responsibilities, and this distinction must be maintained in order to protect the integrity of the precepts. In particular, in public contexts such as invitation meals, oversight and direction from those appropriate to the role is necessary.
Practical Significance
From the perspective of practice, this text teaches us about collective responsibility (saṅgha-sikkhā).
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