Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 26 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC26)

… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the family who supported the nun Thullanandā spoke thus to the nun Thullanandā: “Lady, we will give robes for the Order of nuns.” The nun Thullanandā saying: “You are very busy, there is much to be done,” put an obstacle in the way. Then that family’s house was burnt down. They … spread it about, saying: “How could the lady Thullanandā put an obstacle in the way of our gift of faith? We are down and out; all round, both as to property and as to merit.” Nuns heard these people who … spread it about. Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying:

“How can the lady Thullanandā put an obstacle in the way of a group’s receiving robes?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that the nun Thullanandā put an obstacle in the way of a group’s receiving robes?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

“How, monks, can the nun Thullanandā put an obstacle in the way of a group’s receiving robes? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“Whatever nun should put an obstacle in the way of a group’s receiving robes there is an offence of expiation.

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

A group means: it is called an Order of nuns.

Robe means: any one robe of the six (kinds of) robes (including) the least one fit for assignment.

Should put an obstacle in the way means: if, saying: “How can this robe be given?” she puts an obstacle in the way, there is an offence of expiation. If she puts an obstacle in the way of another requisite, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If she puts an obstacle in the way of a robe or of another requisite for several nuns or for one nun or for a woman who is not ordained, there is an offence of wrong-doing.

There is no offence if she hinders having pointed out an advantage; 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

In May 2013, these volumes were kindly released by the Pali Text Society under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 licence (CC BY-NC 3.0). The current digital edition, including all revisions, corrections, additions, and modifications, is released under the same terms, which are as follows.

You are free to:

Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.

Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.

The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Under the following terms:

Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.

NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.

No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.