Nuns’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 61

^{Bi-Pc.61.1.1 BD.3.361} … at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time nuns ordained^[1] a pregnant woman. She walked for alms. People spoke thus: “Give almsfood to the lady, the lady is heavy with child.” The people … spread it about, saying: “How can the nuns ordain a pregnant woman?” Nuns heard these people who … spread it about. Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying, “How can these nuns ordain a pregnant woman?” …

“Is it true, as is said, monks, that nuns ordained a pregnant woman?”

“It is true, lord.”

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

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

“Whatever nun should ordain a pregnant woman, there is an offence of expiation.”

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^Bi-Pc.61.2.1 Whatever means: … nun is to be understood in this case.

Pregnant woman means: she is called entered by beings.^[2]

Should ordain means: should confer the upasampada ordination.^[3]

If she thinks: “I will ordain (her)” and looks about for a group or for a woman teacher or for a bowl or for a robe or if she determines a boundary, there is an offence of wrong-doing. As a result of the motion there is an offence of wrong-doing. As a result of two proclamations, there are offences of wrong-doing. At the end of the proclamations, there is an offence of expiation for ^BD.3.362 the woman preceptor, and an offence of wrong-doing for the group and for the woman teacher.^[4]

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^Bi-Pc.61.2.2 If she thinks that she is pregnant when she is pregnant (and) ordains her, there is an offence of expiation. If she is in doubt … offence of wrong-doing. If she thinks that she is not pregnant when she is pregnant, (and) ordains her, there is no offence. If she thinks that she is pregnant when she is not pregnant, ^Vin.4.318 there is an offence of wrong-doing. If she is in doubt as to whether she is not pregnant, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If she thinks that she is not pregnant when she is not pregnant, there is no offence.

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^Bi-Pc.61.2.3 There is no offence if she ordains a pregnant woman thinking that she is not pregnant^[5]; if she ordains a woman who is not pregnant thinking that she is not pregnant; if she is mad, if she is the first wrong-doer.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

vuṭṭhāpenti.

[2]:

āpannasattā.

[3]:

upasampādeyya.

[4]:

Cf. above, BD.3.13, BD.3.185, for this passage.

[5]:

This has been said in the paragraph above.