Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 77 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC77)

… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a certain probationer, having approached the nun Thullanandā, asked for the upasampadā ordination. The nun Thullanandā, having said to that probationer, “If you, lady, will give me a robe, then will I ordain you,” neither ordained her nor made an effort to get her ordained. Then that probationer told this matter to the nuns. Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying: “How can the lady Thullanandā, having said … neither ordain her nor make an effort to get her ordained?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that the nun Thullanandā … nor made an effort to get her ordained?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

“How, monks, can the nun Thullanandā … nor make an effort to get her ordained? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“Whatever nun, having said to a probationer: ‘If you, lady, will give me a robe, then will I ordain you,’ (yet) if she is not afterwards prevented, should neither ordain her nor should make an effort to get her ordained, there is an offence of expiation.”

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

Probationer means: one who has trained for two years in the six rules.

‘If you, lady, will give me a robe, then will I ordain you’ means: then will I confer the upasampadā ordination on you.

If she is not afterwards prevented means: if there is not an obstacle.

Should neither ordain her means: should not herself ordain her.

Nor should make an effort to get her ordained means : should not command another.

If she thinks, “I will neither ordain her nor make an effort to get her ordained,” in throwing off the responsibility, there is an offence of expiation.

There is no offence if there is an obstacle; if, having looked about, she does not get the chance; if she is ill; if there are accidents; 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

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.