Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 59 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC59)

… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time nuns neither asked (the date of) the Observance day nor did they ask for exhortation. Monks … spread it about, saying: “How can these nuns neither ask (the date of) the Observance day nor ask for exhortation?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that nuns neither … nor ask for exhortation?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

“How, monks, can nuns neither … nor ask for exhortation? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“Every half month a nun should desire two things from the Order of monks: the asking as to (the date of) the Observance day and the approaching for exhortation. For her who transgresses this, there is an offence of expiation.”

Every half month means: every Observance day.

Observance day means: the two Observance days, that on the fourteenth day and that on the fifteenth day.

Exhortation means: the eight important rules.

If she thinks, “I will neither ask (the date of) the Observance day nor ask for exhortation,” in throwing off the responsibility, … see Bi-Pc.58.2.1–Bi-Pc.58.2.2 … 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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