Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 4 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC4)

… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a certain woman who had formerly been a king’s concubine, had gone forth among the nuns. A certain nun, tormented by dissatisfaction, approached this nun, and having approached, she spoke thus to this nun: “The king, lady, constantly came to see you. How did you manage?”

“By means of an application of lac, lady.”

“What is this application of lac, lady?”

Then this nun showed an application of lac to that nun. Then that nun, having taken the application of lac, having forgotten to wash it, put it to one side. The nuns, having seen it surrounded by flies, spoke thus: “Whose doing is this?” She spoke thus: “It is my doing.” Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying: “How can a nun take an application of lac?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that a nun took an application of lac?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

“How, monks, can a nun take an application of lac? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“In an application of lac, there is an offence of expiation.”

Application of lac means: it is made of lac, made of wood, made of flour, made of clay.

Should take means: if she, enjoying the contact, makes even a lotus-leaf enter the private parts, there is an offence of expiation.

There is no offence if it is because of illness, 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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