{"collection":"Buddhism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bud/sbe20/sbe20108.htm","path":"bud/sbe20/sbe20108.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe20/sbe20108.htm","text":"1. Now at that time there were found among the Bhikkhun\u00ees some who were [deformed in one or other of eleven ways] 1.\nThey told this matter to the Blessed One.\n'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that a woman on whom the upasampad\u00e2 initiation is being conferred, is to be questioned as touching the four-and-twenty Disqualifications 2. And thus, O Bhikkhus, is she to be questioned:\n(1-11) \"Have you any one or other of the eleven deformities [each repeated as above]?\"\n(12-16) \"Have you any of the following diseases--leprosy, boils, dry leprosy, consumption, or fits?\"\n(17) \"Are you a human being 3?\"\n(18) \"Are you a female?\"\n(.19) \"Are you a free woman?\"\n(20) \"Are you free from debts?\"\n(21) \"Are you not in the king's service?\"\n(22) \"Have your father and mother given their consent?\"\n(23) \"Are you full twenty years of age?\"\n(24) \"Are you duly provided with robes and alms-bowl?\"\n\"What is your name?\"\n\"What is the name of your proposer 1?\"'\n2. Now at that time Bhikkhus put the questions as touching the Disqualifications to Bhikkhun\u00ees 2, and they who were seeking after the upasampad\u00e2 initiation became disconcerted and perplexed, and were unable to answer.\n'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that initiation is to be conferred in the Bhikkhu-samgha upon a Bhikkhun\u00ee who has been initiated on the one side in the Bhikkhun\u00ee-samgha, and has there cleared herself (from the Disqualifications).'\nNow at that time the Bhikkhun\u00ees questioned those who desired to receive the upasampad\u00e2 initiation about the Disqualifications, without having had them instructed beforehand (how to answer). The persons who desired to be ordained became disconcerted and perplexed, and were not able to answer 3.\n'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you first instruct the women about to be initiated (how to answer), and that you then question them as to the Disqualifications.'\nThen they instructed the candidates in the midst of the assembly, and they still became disconcerted, and could not answer.\n'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that they be instructed aside, and then questioned in the midst of the assembly.\nAnd thus, O Bhikkhus, ought they to be instructed:--First they ought to be made to choose an instructor 1; when they have chosen an instructor their robes and bowl must be shown to them: \"This is your alms-bowl, this is your waist-cloth, this is your upper garment, this is your under garment, this is your vest, this is your bathing dress 2. Go and stand in such and such a place.\"'\n3. Ignorant and incompetent (Bhikkhun\u00ees) instructed them, and they became disconcerted, perplexed, and unable to answer.\n'They are not to be instructed, O Bhikkhus, by unlearned, incompetent Bhikkhun\u00ees. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that they be instructed by learned and competent Bhikkhun\u00ees.'\n4. Bhikkhun\u00ees not appointed (to the office of doing so) instructed them.\n'Let no one, O Bhikkhus, instruct them without\nhaving been appointed thereto. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that a Bhikkhun\u00ee appointed to the office instruct them.\n'And thus, O Bhikkhus, ought she to be appointed--one may either appoint herself, or one may be appointed by another. And how is a Bhikkhun\u00ee to appoint herself? Let a learned, competent Bhikkhun\u00ee lay the following motion (\u00f1atti) before the Samgha \"Let the Samgha, reverend Ladies, hear me. N. N. desires to receive the upasampad\u00e2 initiation from the venerable lady, M. M. If it seem meet to the Samgha, I will instruct N. N.\" Thus may a Bhikkhun\u00ee appoint herself.\nAnd how is a Bhikkhun\u00ee to be appointed by another? Let a learned, competent Bhikkhun\u00ee lay the following resolution before the Samgha: \"Let the Samgha, reverend Ladies, hear me. N. N. desires to receive the upasampad\u00e2 initiation from the venerable lady, M. M. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let A. A. instruct N. N.\" Thus may one Bhikkhun\u00ee be appointed by another.\n5. 'Then let that so appointed Bhikkhun\u00ee go to the person who is seeking to be initiated, and thus address her: \"Listen to me, N. N. This is the time for you to speak the truth, to declare that which is. When you are asked about what has happened before the Samgha, you ought, if it is so, to answer: \"That is so;\" if it is not so, to answer: \"That is not so,\" Be not perplexed, be not disconcerted. I shall ask you thus: \"Are you deformed (&c., down to the end of the twenty-six questions in \u00a7 1).\"'\n(After the instruction was over, the instructor and the candidate) returned together to the assembly.\n'They are not to return together. Let the instructor return first, and lay the following resolution before the Samgha: \"Let the Samgha, reverend Ladies, hear me. N. N. desires to receive the upasampad\u00e2 initiation from the venerable lady, M. M.; and she has been instructed by me. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let N. N. come forward.\" Then let her be told to come forward. Then let her be told to adjust her upper robe over one shoulder only, to bow down before the Bhikkhun\u00ees, to sit down on her heels, and stretching forth her joined palms, to ask for the upasampad\u00e2 initiation, saying: \"I ask the Samgha, reverend Ladies, for initiation. May the Samgha, reverend Ladies, raise me up (out of the worldly life), having pity on me.\" And a second and a third time is she to repeat that request.\n6. 'Then let a learned and competent Bhikkhun\u00ee lay the following resolution before the Samgha: \"Let the Samgha, reverend Ladies, hear me. This person, N. N., desires to receive the upasampad\u00e2 initiation from M. M.; and she has been instructed by me. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let me question N. N. as touching the Disqualifications. Listen to me, N. N. [as before, down to the end of the questions].\"\n7. 'Then let a learned and competent Bhikkhun\u00ee lay the following motion before the Samgha: \"Let the Samgha, reverend Ladies, hear me. This person, N. N., desires to receive the upasampad\u00e2 initiation from the venerable lady, M. M. She is free from the Disqualifications, and is duly provided with alms-bowl and robes. This person, N. N., asks the Samgha for the upasampad\u00e2 initiation, the venerable\nlady, M. M., being her proposer. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let the Samgha receive N. N., the venerable lady, M. M., being her proposer. That, then, is the motion.\n'\"Let the Samgha, venerable Ladies, hear me. N. N. desires to receive the upasampad\u00e2, the lady, M. M., being her proposer. The Samgha confers the upasampad\u00e2 upon N. N., the lady, M. M., being her proposer. Whosoever of the venerable ones agrees thereto, let her keep silence; whosoever agrees not thereto, let her speak. A second time I say the same thing.\" [The whole of this paragraph repeated.] And a third time I say the same thing. [Paragraph repeated.]\n'The Samgha has conferred the upasampad\u00e2 upon N. N., the lady, M. M., being her proposer. The Samgha agrees thereto. Therefore is it silent. Thus do I understand.'\n8. 'Then, further, let her be taken before the Bhikkhu-samgha, and there told to arrange her robe over one shoulder only, to bow down before the Bhikkhus, and, sitting down on her heels, to stretch forth her joined palms, and say: \"I, Sirs, N. N., who, being desirous of receiving the upasampad\u00e2 initiation from M. M., have received it on the one side (of the Samgha, from the Bhikkhun\u00ees), and have there been declared free (from the Disqualifications), do hereby ask the Samgha for the upasampad\u00e2.\" [The rest of the proceedings are the same as before the Bhikkhun\u00ee-samgha.] \"May the Samgha, reverend Sirs, raise me up (out of the worldly life), having pity on me.\" And a second time do I hereby ask [&c., repeated]. And a third time do I hereby ask [the same repeated].\n[The rest of the proceedings are the same as in the last sections 6 and 7, putting 'Bhikkhu' for 'Bhikkhun\u00ee,' and 'reverend Sirs' for 'reverend Ladies.]\n'Then, further, let them (the Bhikkhus) measure the shadow, tell (the newly-received Bhikkhun\u00ee) what season and what date it is, tell her what part of the day it is, tell her the whole formula 1, and tell the Bhikkhun\u00ees: \"You are to teach her what are the three things allowed 2, and what are the eight things interdicted 3.\"'\n349:1 Here follow a number of abnormities, deformities, or diseases, all of which have reference to the womb or its accessories. Some of them are unintelligible to us. Compare the corresponding section in respect to Bhikkhus at Mah\u00e2vagga I, 68.\n349:2 Of these twenty-four, eleven are the deformities just referred to, and the rest are the same as those for Bhikkhus at Mah\u00e2vagga I, 76. The number of questions is, in fact, twenty-six, but the last two do not refer to Disqualifications.\n349:3 For the reason of this, see Mah\u00e2vagga I, 63.\n350:1 Pavattin\u00ee; corresponding to upaggh\u00e2ya in the case of Bhikkhus.\n350:2 This is in accordance with the rule laid down in X, 2, 2, that Bhikkhus, and not Bhikkhun\u00ees, are to confer the upasampad\u00e2.\n350:3 This paragraph is word for word the same as Mah\u00e2vagga I, 76, 2 of the Bhikkhus.\n351:1 Upaggham. It should be observed that this expression is found only here, and in the corresponding section for the Bhikkhus, at Mah\u00e2vagga I, 76, 3. Elsewhere, throughout, Upaggh\u00e2ya is the form used for Bhikkhus, and Pavattin\u00ee for Bhikkhun\u00ees. The word is probably here also, as in the Mah\u00e2vagga I, 76, 3, to be taken as a masculine.\n351:2 These last two are omitted in the corresponding section for the Bhikkhus, Mah\u00e2vagga I, 76, 3. On Samkakkhikam, see the note of the Old Commentator on the 96th Bhikkhun\u00ee P\u00e2kittiya, and on Udaka-s\u00e2tik\u00e2, the same on the 22nd Bhikkhun\u00ee P\u00e2kittiya.\n355:1 Samg\u00eeti. On the meaning of this curious use of the word, see our note on the corresponding section for the Bhikkhus (Mah\u00e2vagga I, 77).\n355:2 The three Nissayas, which are doubtless the same as the 1st, 2nd, and 4th of the four Resources mentioned in the corresponding paragraph for Bhikkhus (Mah\u00e2vagga I, 77). The third is forbidden to Bhikkhun\u00ees, below, X, 23.\n355:3 Attha akaran\u00eey\u00e2ni. These must bear he same relation to the eight Bhikkhun\u00ee P\u00e2r\u00e2gikas as the four Interdicts in the corresponding paragraph for the Bhikkhus (Mah\u00e2vagga I, 78) do to the four Bhikkhu P\u00e2r\u00e2gikas.","title":"SBE 20: Tenth Khandhaka: Chapter 17","type":"page"}