Bu Np 1717. Getting a nun to wash wool
Pāli / Sanskrit:Eḷakalomadhovāpana
A monk who makes a nun wash, dye, or comb unspun wool must relinquish it and confess the offense.
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law The Great Analysis
The chapter on relinquishment The subchapter on silk 17. Getting a nun to wash wool
Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying in the Sakyan country in the Banyan Tree Monastery at Kapilavatthu. At that time the monks from the group of six had the nuns wash, dye, and comb wool. Because of this, the nuns neglected recitation, testing, the higher morality, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom.
Mahāpajāpati Gotamī then went to the Buddha and bowed down to him. And the Buddha said to her, “Gotamī, I hope the nuns are heedful, energetic, and diligent?”
“How could the nuns be heedful, venerable sir?” And she told him what was happening.
The Buddha then instructed, inspired, and gladdened her with a teaching. She bowed down, circumambulated him with her right side toward him, and left.
Soon afterwards the Buddha had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks from the group of six: “Is it true, monks, that you do this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
“Are they your relatives?”
“No.”
“Foolish men, people who are unrelated don’t know what’s appropriate and inappropriate, what’s inspiring and uninspiring, in dealing with each other. And still you do this. This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
Final ruling
‘If a monk has an unrelated nun wash, dye, or comb wool, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”
Definitions
A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case. Unrelated: anyone who is not a descendant of one’s male ancestors going back eight generations, either on the mother’s side or on the father’s side. A nun: she has been given the full ordination by both Sanghas.
If he tells her to wash it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. When it has been washed, it becomes subject to relinquishment. If he tells her to dye it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. When it has been dyed, it becomes subject to relinquishment. If he tells her to comb it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. When it has been combed, it becomes subject to relinquishment.
The wool should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual. “And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …” (To be expanded as in Bu NP 1:3.2.5–3.2.29, with appropriate substitutions.)
“Venerables, this wool, which I got washed by an unrelated nun, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” … “the Sangha should give …” “you should give …” “I give this wool back to you.”
Permutations
If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her wash wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her wash and dye wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and one offense of wrong conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her wash and comb wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and one offense of wrong conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her wash, dye, and comb wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and two offenses of wrong conduct.
If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her dye wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her dye and comb wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and one offense of wrong conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her dye and wash wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and one offense of wrong conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her dye, comb, and wash wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and two offenses of wrong conduct.
If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her comb wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her comb and wash wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and one offense of wrong conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her comb and dye wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and one offense of wrong conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he has her comb, wash, and dye wool, he commits one offense entailing relinquishment and two offenses of wrong conduct.
If she is unrelated, but he is unsure of it … If she is unrelated, but he perceives her as related …
If he has her wash wool belonging to someone else, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If he has a nun who is fully ordained only on one side do the washing, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is related, but he perceives her as unrelated, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is related, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is related and he perceives her as such, there is no offense.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if a related nun does the washing and an unrelated nun helps her; if a nun does the washing without being asked; if he has a nun wash an unused and finished article; if it is a trainee nun; if it is a novice nun; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
The training rule on getting a nun to wash wool, the seventh, 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.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.