Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 31 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC31)

… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time two nuns shared one couch. People, engaged in touring the dwelling-place, having seen (them) … spread it about, saying: “How can two nuns share one couch, 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 two nuns share one couch?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that two nuns shared one couch?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

“How, monks, can two nuns share one couch? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“Whatever two nuns should share one couch, there is an offence of expiation.”

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

Nuns mean: they are called ordained.

Two should share one couch means: if one is lying down and the other lies down, there is an offence of expiation. Or if both are lying down, there is an offence of expiation. If having got up, they lie down again, there is an offence of expiation.

There is no offence if one is lying down and the other sits down, or if both are sitting down; if they are mad, if they are the first wrong-doers.

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.