Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 37

^{Bi-Pc.37.1.1 BD.3.317} … at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time nuns walked without a weapon^[1] on almstour within (their own) region^[2] (when this was) agreed upon as dangerous, frightening.^[3] Bad men assaulted them. Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying: “How can these nuns … dangerous, frightening?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that nuns … dangerous, frightening?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

“How, monks, can nuns … dangerous, frightening? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … this rule of training:

“Whatever nun should walk without a weapon on alms-tour within (her own) region (when this is) agreed upon as dangerous, frightening, there is an offence of expiation.”

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^Bi-Pc.37.2.1 Whatever means: … nun is to be understood in this case.

Within (her own) region means: in a region of that country^[4] in which she lives.

^BD.3.318 Dangerous means: if on this road a place where thieves are halting is seen, a place where they are eating is seen, a place where they are resting is seen, a place where they are sitting down is seen, a place where they are lying down is seen.^[5]

Frightening means: if on this road people injured by thieves are seen, (people) plundered are seen, (people) beaten down are seen.^[6]

Without a weapon^[7] means: without a weapon.^[8]

Should walk on almstour means: in a village close enough for a cock (to walk), among every (such) village, there is an offence of expiation. For every half yojana in what is not a village, in a jungle, there is an offence of expiation.^[9]

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^Bi-Pc.37.2.2 There is no offence if she goes with a weapon; if she goes in a place of security^[10] that is not frightening; if there are accidents; if she is mad, if she is the first wrong-doer. ^Vin.4.296

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

asatthikā. As in Monks’ Bu-Pc.27, translators differ as to whether this means “without a weapon” or not (having joined) a caravan. See BD.2.289, n.3. I here follow B.C. Law, History of Pali Literature 1.75 (No.21), and not Waldschmidt, Bruchstücke des Bhikṣunī-Prātimokṣa der Sarvāstivādins, p.127, “ohne sich einer Karawane angeschlossen zu haben.”

[2]:

antoraṭṭhe. Not given in Pali-English Dictionary or Critical Pali Dictionary, but cf. tiroraṭṭha in next Pācittiya.

[3]:

Cf. Monks’ Bu-Pc.27, where the only legal occasion where a monk might go along the same highroad with a nun was if the road was dangerous and frightening.

[4]:

vijita, or kingdom, territory, conquered land.

[5]:

= BD.2.158, BD.2.290.

[6]:

= BD.2.158, BD.2.290.

[7]:

asatthikā, more literally “weaponless.”

[8]:

vinā satthena.

[9]:

Cf. BD.2.290 in definition of “even among villages”; BD.2.294; and above, BD.3.16.

[10]:

khema; a word which at some time became important as being applied particularly to spiritual peace, nibbana.