Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 24 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC24)

… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time nuns, having entrusted robes to the hands of (other) nuns, set out on a tour of the country with (only) the inner and the upper robes. Those robes, deposited for a long time, became soiled; nuns dried them in the sun. Nuns spoke thus to these nuns: “Ladies, whose are these robes that are soiled?” Then these nuns told this matter to the nuns. Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying: “How can nuns, having entrusted robes to the hands of (other) nuns, set out on a tour of the country with (only) the inner and the upper robes?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that nuns … with (only) the inner and the upper robes?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

“How, monks, can nuns … with (only) the inner and the upper robes? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“Whatever nun should miss going about in an outer cloak for five days, there is an offence of expiation.”

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

Should miss going about in an outer cloak for five days means: if on the fifth day she neither dresses in nor puts on nor dries in the sun the five robes, (but) lets the fifth day pass, there is an offence of expiation.

If she thinks that five days are passed when they are passed, there is an offence of expiation. If she is in doubt as to whether five days are passed, there is an offence of expiation. If she thinks that five days are not passed when they are passed, there is an offence of expiation. If she thinks that five days are passed when they are not passed, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If she is in doubt as to whether five days are not passed, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If she thinks that five days are not passed when they are not passed, there is no offence.

There is no offence if, on the fifth day, she dresses in or puts on or dries the five robes in the sun; if she is ill; if there are accidents; if she is mad, if she is the first wrong-doer.

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

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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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