Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 60 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC60)

… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a certain nun together with a man, the one with the other, made a boil burst that had formed on the lower part of her body. Then that man began to violate that nun. She cried out in distress. Nuns, having run up, spoke thus to that nun: “Why do you, lady, cry out in distress?” Then that nun told this matter to the nuns. Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying: “How can this nun together with a man, the one with the other, make a boil burst that had formed on the lower part of her body?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that a nun … lower part of her body?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

“How, monks, can a nun … lower part of her body? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“Whatever nun, without having obtained permission from an Order or from a group, should together with a man, the one with the other, make a boil or a scab that has formed on the lower part of her body burst or break or let it be washed or smeared or bound up or unbound, there is an offence of expiation.”

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

Lower part of the body means: below the navel to above the circle of the knees.

Has formed means: has formed there.

Boil means: whatever is a boil.

Scab means: whatever is a sore.

Without having obtained permission means: not asking (for permission).

Order means: it is called an Order of nuns.

Group means: they are called several nuns.

Man means: a human man, not a yakkha, not a departed one, not an animal; one who is learned, competent to violate.

Together with means: together.

The one with the other means: there is a man and also a nun.

If she commands, saying: “Burst it,” there is an offence of wrong-doing. When it is burst, there is an offence of expiation. If she commands, saying: “Break it … wash it … smear it … bind it up … unbind it,” there is an offence of wrong-doing. When it is broken … washed … smeared … bound up … unbound, there is an offence of expiation.

There is no offence if, having obtained permission, she causes it to be burst or broken … or unbound; if some learned man (is there) as companion; if she is mad, if she is the first wrong-doer.

The Sixth Division: that on a monastery

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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