1. Now at that time the Blessed Buddha was staying among the Sâkyas in Kapilavatthu, in the Nigrodhârâma. And Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî went to the place where the Blessed One was, and on arriving there, bowed down before the Blessed One, and remained standing on one side. And so standing she spake thus to the Blessed One:
'It would be well, Lord, if women should be allowed to renounce their homes and enter the homeless state under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Tathâgata.'
'Enough, O Gotamî! Let it not please thee that women should be allowed to do so.'
[And a second and a third time did Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî make the same request in the same words, and receive the same reply.]
Then Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî sad and sorrowful for that the Blessed One would not permit women to enter the homeless state, bowed down before the Blessed One, and keeping him on her right hand as she passed him, departed thence weeping and in tears.
2. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Kapilavatthu as long as he thought fit, he set out on his journey towards Vesâlî; and travelling
straight on he in due course arrived thereat. And there at Vesâlî the Blessed One stayed, in the Mahâvana, in the Kûtâgâra Hall.
And Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî cut off her hair, and put on orange-coloured robes, and set out, with a number of women of the Sâkya clan, towards Vesâlî; and in due course she arrived at Vesâlî, at the Mahâvana, at the Kûtâgâra Hall. And Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî, with swollen feet and covered with dust, sad and sorrowful, weeping and in tears, took her stand outside under the entrance porch.
And the venerable Ânanda saw her so standing there, and on seeing her so, he said to Mahâ-pagâpatî?: 'Why standest thou there, outside the porch, with swollen feet and covered with dust, sad and sorrowful, weeping and in tears?'
'Inasmuch, O Ânanda, as the Lord, the Blessed One, does not permit women to renounce their homes and enter the homeless state under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Tathâgata.'
3. Then did the venerable Ânanda go up to the place where the Blessed One was, and bow down before the Blessed One, and take his seat on one side. And, so sitting, the venerable Ânanda said to the Blessed One:
'Behold, Lord, Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî is standing outside under the entrance porch, with swollen feet and covered with dust, sad and sorrowful, weeping and in tears, inasmuch as the Blessed One does not permit women to renounce their homes and enter the homeless state under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Blessed One. It were well, Lord, if women were to have permission granted to them to do as she desires.'
Enough, Ânanda! Let it not please thee that women should be allowed to do so.'
[And a second and a third time did Ânanda make the same request, in the same words, and receive the same reply.]
Then the venerable Ânanda thought: 'The Blessed One does not give his permission, let me now ask the Blessed One on another ground.' And the venerable Ânanda said to the Blessed One:
'Are women, Lord, capable--when they have gone forth from the household life and entered the homeless state, under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Blessed One--are they capable of realising the fruit of conversion, or of the second Path, or of the third Path, or of Arahatship?'
'They are capable, Ânanda.'
'If then, Lord, they are capable thereof, since Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî has proved herself of great service to the Blessed One, when as aunt and nurse she nourished him and gave him milk, and on the death of his mother suckled the Blessed One at her own breast, it were well, Lord, that women should have permission to go forth from the household life and enter the homeless state, under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Tathâgata 1.'
4. 'If then, Ânanda, Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî take upon herself the Eight Chief Rules 2 let that be reckoned to her as her initiation.'
3[They are these]: (1) 'A Bhikkhunî, even if of
a hundred years standing, shall make salutation to, shall rise up in the presence of, shall bow down before, and shall perform all proper duties towards a Bhikkhu, if only just initiated. This is a rule to be revered and reverenced, honoured and observed, and her life long never to be transgressed.
(2) 'A Bhikkhunî is not to spend the rainy season (of Was) in a district 1 in which there is no Bhikkhu. This is a rule . . . . never to be transgressed.
(3) 'Every half month a Bhikkhunî is to await from the Bhikkhu-samgha two things, the asking as to (the date of) the Uposatha ceremony 2, and the (time when the Bhikkhu) will come to give the Exhortation 3. This is a rule . . . . never to be transgressed.
(4) 'After keeping the rainy season (of Was), the Bhikkhunî is to hold Pavâranâ (to enquire whether any fault can be laid to her charge) before both Samghas--as well that of Bhikkhus as that of Bhikkhunîs--with respect to three matters, namely, what has been seen, and what has been heard, and what has been suspected 4. This is a rule . . . . never to be transgressed.
(5) 'A Bhikkhunî who has been guilty of a serious offence is to undergo the Mânatta discipline towards both the Samghas (Bhikkhus and ]Bhikkhunîs). This is a rule . . . . never to be transgressed.
(6) 'When a Bhikkhunî, as novice, has been trained for two years in the Six Rules 1, she is to ask leave for the upasampadâ initiation from both Samghas (as well that of Bhikkhus as that of Bhikkhunîs 2). This is a rule . . . . never to be transgressed.
(7) 'A Bhikkhunî is on no pretext to revile or abuse a Bhikkhu 3. This is a rule . . . . never to be transgressed.
(8) 'From henceforth official admonition 4 by Bhikkhunîs of Bhikkhus is forbidden, whereas the official admonition of Bhikkhunîs by Bhikkhus is not forbidden. This is a rule . . . . never to be transgressed.
'If, Ânanda, Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî take upon herself these Eight Chief Rules, let that be reckoned to her as her initiation.'
5. Then the venerable Ânanda, when he had learnt from the Blessed One these Eight Chief Rules, went to Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî and [told her all that the Blessed One had said].
'Just, Ânanda, as a man or a woman, when young and of tender years, accustomed to adorn himself, would, when he had bathed his head, receive with both hands a garland of lotus flowers, or of jasmine flowers, or of atimuttaka flowers, and place it on the top of his head; even so do I, Ânanda, take upon me these Eight Chief Rules, never to be transgressed my life long.'
6. Then the venerable Ânanda returned to the Blessed One, and bowed down before him, and took his seat on one side. And, so sitting, the venerable Ânanda said to the Blessed One: 'Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî, Lord, has taken upon herself the Eight Chief Rules, the aunt of the Blessed One, has received the upasampadâ initiation.'
If, Ânanda, women had not received permission to go out from the household life and enter the homeless state, under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Tathâgata, then would the pure religion, Ânanda, have lasted long, the good law would have stood fast for a thousand years. But since, Ânanda, women have now received that permission, the pure religion, Ânanda, will not now last so long, the good law will now stand fast for only five hundred years. Just, Ânanda, as houses in which there are many women 1 and but few men are easily violated 2 by robber burglars 3; just so, Ânanda, under
whatever doctrine and discipline women are allowed to go out from the household life into the homeless state, that religion will not last long. And just, Ânanda, as when the disease called mildew falls upon a field of rice in fine condition, that field of rice does not continue long; just so, Ânanda, under whatsoever doctrine and discipline women are allowed to go forth from the household life into the homeless state, that religion will not last long. And just, Ânanda, as when the disease called blight falls upon a field of sugar-cane in good condition, that field of sugar-cane does not continue long; just so, Ânanda, under whatsoever doctrine and discipline women are allowed to go forth from the household life into the homeless state, that religion does not last long. And just, Ânanda, as a man would in anticipation build an embankment to a great reservoir, beyond which the water should not overpass; just even so, Ânanda, have I in anticipation laid down these Eight Chief Rules for the Bhikkhunîs, their life long not to be overpassed.'
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Here end the Eight Chief Rules for the Bhikkhunîs.
322:1 Ânandâ s conduct in this matter was afterwards charged against him as a dukkata. See below, XI, 1, lo.
322:2 The Attha Garudhammâ, on which see further our note above on the 21st Pâkittiya, and below, X, g.
322:3 The whole of the following eight paragraphs recur in the p. 323 Sutta Vibhaṅga, Pâkittiya XXI, 3, 1. It is very instructive to notice the curious blunders which the Tibetan writers (translated by Rockhill in his 'Life of the Buddha,' pp. 62, 63) make in the rendering of the difficult technical terms in these Eight Rules.
323:1 Âvâsa. Compare Kullavagga I, 18, 1, VI, 15, I, VIII, x, 2. This rule is the 56th Bhikkhunî Pâkittiya.
323:2 The Bhikkhunîs are to ask two or three days beforehand whether the Uposatha is to be held on the 14th or 15th day of the month; says Buddhaghosa here. Compare also the 59th Bhikkhunî Pâkittiya, where the whole passage recurs.
323:3 Compare the 21st Pâkittiya, and our note there.
323:4 See Mahâvagga IV, 1, 13, 14. This rule is the same as the 57th Bhikkhunî Pâkittiya. The mode of carrying out this rule is explained in detail below, X, 19.
324:1 Khasu dhammesu. The Six Rules for novices. They are referred to in the Bhikkhunî Vibhaṅga, under Pâkittiyas LXIII-LXVII.
324:2 The actual ordination (upasampadâ) itself is not complete till it has been conferred by Bhikkhus (see the rule at X, 2, 2). The whole proceeding is fully set out below, X, 27. Compare also the 63rd and 64th Bhikkhunî Pâkittiyas.
324:3 This is the 52nd Bhikkhunî Pâkittiya.
324:4 Vakana-patho. That is, literally, speech. But the reference is, no doubt, to the various kinds of official admonitions given in detail in chapter 20 below.
325:1 Bahutthikâni. The context shows that we are to understand itthi and not attha. Compare Rockhill's 'Life of the Buddha,' p.61.
325:2 Suppadhamsiyâni. Compare Bhikkhunî Vibhaṅga, Samghâdisesa III, 1, 2, and see also Kullavagga VII, 5, 4.
325:3 Korehi kumbatthenakehi; on which Buddhaghosa has the following note:--Kumbathenakehiti kumbhe dîpam gâletvâ ena âlokena paraghare bhandam vikinitvâ thenakakorehi.