Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 28 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC28)

… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the nun Thullanandā gave recluses’ robe-material to players and to dancers and to female tumblers and to female conjurors and to drummers, saying: “Do praise me in public.” The players and the dancers and the tumblers and the conjurors and the drummers praised the nun Thullanandā in public, saying: “The lady Thullanandā is very learned, she is a repeater, she is wise, she is skilled in giving talk on dhamma. Give for the lady, make for the lady.” Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying:

“How can the lady Thullanandā give recluses’ robe-material to a householder?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that the nun Thullanandā gave recluses’ robe-material to a householder?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

“How, monks, can the nun Thullanandā give recluses’ robe-material to a householder? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“Whatever nun should give recluses’ robe-material to a householder or to a wanderer or to a female wanderer, there is an offence of expiation.”

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

Householder means: he who inhabits a house.

Wanderer means: excluding monk and novice, he who has reached (the stage of a) wanderer.

Female wanderer means: excluding nun and probationer and female novice, she who has reached (the stage of a) female wanderer.

Recluses’ robe-material means: it is called made allowable. If she gives, there is an offence of expiation.

There is no offence if she gives to (her) parents; if she gives for the time being; 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

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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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