Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 10 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC10)

… in Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove at the squirrels’ feeding-place. Now at that time there was a festival on a mountain-top in Rājagaha. The group of six nuns went to see the festival on the mountain-top. People … spread it about saying: “How can nuns come to see dancing and singing and music, like women householders who enjoy pleasures of the senses?” Nuns heard these people who … spread it about. Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying: “How can the group of six nuns go to see … music?” …

“It is true, lord.”

The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked them, saying: “How, monks, can the group of six nuns go to see … music? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“Whatever nun should go to see dancing or singing or music, there is an offence of expiation.”

Whatever means: … nun is to be understood in this case.

Dancing means: whatever is dancing.

Singing means: whatever is singing.

Music means: whatever is music.

If she goes to see, there is an offence of wrong-doing. Standing where she sees or hears, there is an offence of expiation. If having left the region of sight, she sees or hears again, there is an offence of expiation. If she goes to see one or the other, there is an offence of wrong-doing. Standing where she sees or hears, there is an offence of expiation. If having left the region of sight, she sees or hears again, there is an offence of expiation.

There is no offence if, standing in a monastery, she sees or hears; if, having come to where nuns are resting or sitting down or lying down, they dance or sing or play music; if, going along a path, she sees or hears; if, having gone as there is something to be done, she sees or hears; if there are accidents; if she is mad, if she is the first wrong-doer.

The First Division: that on garlic

The Book of the Discipline was translated by I.B. Horner.

Digital edition prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato

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Published in 2014 by SuttaCentral.

Originally published by the Pali Text Society in the following years:

Vol. 1: 1938

Vol. 2: 1940

Vol. 3: 1942

Vol. 4: 1951

Vol. 5: 1950

Vol. 6: 1966

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