Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 9 (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC9)

… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a certain brahmin’s cornfield was beside a nunnery. The nuns threw out excrement and urine and rubbish and remains of food into the field. Then that brahmin … spread it about, saying: “How can the nuns despoil our cornfield?” Nuns heard that brahmin who … spread it about. Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying: “How can nuns throw out excrement … and the remains of food on to the crops?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that nuns threw out … on to the crops?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

“How, monks, can nuns throw out … on to the crops? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“Whatever nun should throw out or should cause (another) to throw out excrement or urine or rubbish or the remains of food on to the crops, there is an offence of expiation.”

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

Excrement means: see Bi-Pc.8.2.1 … or impure water.

Crops means: grain and pulses planted as food for the use of human beings.

Should throw out means: if she herself throws out, there is an offence of expiation.

Should cause (another) to throw out means: … see Bi-Pc.8.2.1 … offence of expiation.

If she thinks that they are crops when they are crops (and) throws out or causes (another) to throw out, there is an offence of expiation. If she is in doubt as to whether they are crops … If she thinks that they are not crops when they are crops … offence of expiation. If she thinks that they are crops when they are not crops, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If she is in doubt as to whether they are not crops, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If she thinks that they are not crops when they are not crops, there is no offence.

There is no offence if she throws out having looked round; if she throws out on to the edges of a field; if she throws out having asked the owner (for permission) and having obtained the permission; 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

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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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