Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 1 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC1)

These hundred and sixty-six matters, ladies, that are offences of expiation come up for recitation.

At that time the enlightened one, the lord, was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the Order of nuns was offered garlic by a certain lay-follower, saying: “If these ladies need garlic, I (can supply them) with garlic.” And the keeper of the field was instructed (with the words): “If the nuns come, give two or three bundles to each nun.” Now at that time there was a festival in Sāvatthī; the garlic was used up as soon as it was brought in. The nuns, having approached that lay-follower, spoke thus: “Sir, we have need of garlic.” He said: “There is none, ladies; the garlic is used up as soon as it is brought in; go to the field.” The nun Thullanandā, having gone to the field, not knowing moderation, had much garlic taken away. The keeper of the field looked down upon, criticised, spread it about, saying: “How can these nuns, not knowing moderation, have much garlic taken away?” Nuns heard that keeper of the field who … spread it about. Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying:

“How can the lady Thullanandā, not knowing moderation, have much garlic taken away?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that the nun Thullanandā, not knowing moderation, had much garlic taken away?”

“It is true, lord.”

The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked them, saying:

“How, monks, can the nun Thullanandā, not knowing moderation, have much garlic taken away? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased …” and having given reasoned talk, he addressed the monks, saying:

“Formerly, monks, the nun Thullanandā was the wife of a certain brahmin and there were three daughters, Nandā, Nandavatī, Sundarīnandā. Then, monks, that brahmin, having passed away, was born in the womb of a certain goose and his feathers were made all of gold. He gave a feather one by one to these. Then, monks, the nun Thullanandā, saying: ‘This goose is giving us a feather one by one,’ having taken hold of that king of the geese, plucked him. His feathers, on growing again, turned out white. So at that time, monks, the nun Thullanandā lost the gold through too much greed; now she will lose the garlic.”

“One should be pleased with what is received,
for too much greed is bad.
By taking hold of the king of the geese,
one may lose the gold.”

Then the lord having in many a figure rebuked the nun Thullanandā for her difficulty in maintaining herself …” … And thus, monks, the nuns should set forth this rule of training:

“Whatever nun should eat garlic, there is an offence of expiation.”

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

Garlic means: it is called the Magadha (plant).

If she says, ‘I will eat,’ and accepts, there is an offence of wrong-doing. For every mouthful there is an offence of expiation.

If she thinks that it is garlic when it is garlic (and) eats, there is an offence of expiation. If she is in doubt as to whether it is garlic … If she thinks that it is not garlic when it is garlic (and) eats, there is an offence of expiation. If she thinks that it is garlic when it is not garlic (and) eats, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If she is in doubt as to whether it is not garlic (and) eats, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If she thinks that it is not garlic when it is not garlic (and) eats, there is no offence.

There is no offence if it is an onion, if it is a beetroot, if it is yellow myrobalan, if it is bow-garlic, if it is in a concoction of broth, in a concoction of meat, in a concoction of oil; if it is in a salad; if it is in a tit-bit; if she is mad, if she is the first wrong-doer.

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

Digital edition prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato

A complete digital edition can be downloaded here.

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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