Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 86

^{Bi-Pc.86.1.1 BD.3.404} … at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a certain nun frequented a certain woman’s family. Then that woman spoke thus to that nun: “Please, lady, give this petticoat to such and such a woman.” Then that nun, thinking: “If I go away taking it in my bowl, there will be trouble for me,”^[1] went away having tied it on. When she was on the high road the strings broke and were scattered. People … spread it about, saying: “How can these nuns^[2] wear a petticoat, like women householders who enjoy pleasures of the senses?” Nuns … heard these people who … spread it about. Those who were modest nuns ^Vin.4.340 … spread it about, saying: “How can this nun wear a petticoat?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that a nun wore a petticoat?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

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

“Whatever nun should wear a petticoat, there is an offence of expiation.”

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^Bi-Pc.86.2.1 Whatever means: … nun is to be understood in this case.

Petticoat means: whatever goes about the hips.

Should wear means: if she wears it even once, there is an offence of expiation.

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^{Bi-Pc.86.2.2 BD.3.405} There is no offence if it is on account of illness; if she wears a hip-string^[3]; if she is mad, if she is the first wrong-doer.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

= above, BD.3.157, BD.3.188.

[2]:

The people generalise from one instance.

[3]:

kaṭisuttaka, allowed to nuns at Vin.2.271, but not to be worn all the time; a dukkaṭa for monks to wear them at Vin.2.106, but where meaning may be an ornamental waist-band.