{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an8.51/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an8.51","id":"suttacentral_an8.51","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an8.51/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. Then Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati Gotam\u012b went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him: \u201cSir, please let ladies gain the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.\u201d \u201cEnough, Gotam\u012b. Don\u2019t endorse the going forth for ladies from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.\u201d For a second time \u2026 For a third time, Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati Gotam\u012b said to the Buddha: \u201cSir, please let ladies gain the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.\u201d \u201cEnough, Gotam\u012b. Don\u2019t endorse the going forth for ladies from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.\u201d Then Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati Gotam\u012b thought, \u201cThe Buddha does not permit ladies to go forth.\u201d Miserable and sad, weeping, with a tearful face, she bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on her right, before leaving. When the Buddha had stayed in Kapilavatthu as long as he pleased, he set out for Ves\u0101l\u012b. Traveling stage by stage, he arrived at Ves\u0101l\u012b, where he stayed at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Then Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati Gotam\u012b had her hair shaved, and dressed in ocher robes. Together with several Sakyan ladies she set out for Ves\u0101l\u012b. Traveling stage by stage, she arrived at Ves\u0101l\u012b and went to the Great Wood, the hall with the peaked roof. Then Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati Gotam\u012b stood crying outside the gate, her feet swollen, her limbs covered with dust, miserable and sad, with tearful face. Venerable \u0100nanda saw her standing there, and said to her, \u201cGotam\u012b, why do you stand crying outside the gate, your feet swollen, your limbs covered with dust, miserable and sad, with tearful face?\u201d \u201cHonorable \u0100nanda, it\u2019s because the Buddha does not permit ladies to go forth in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.\u201d \u201cWell then, Gotam\u012b, wait here an hour while I ask the Buddha to grant the going forth for ladies.\u201d Then Venerable \u0100nanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: \u201cSir, Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati Gotam\u012b is standing crying outside the gate, her feet swollen, her limbs covered with dust, miserable and sad, with tearful face. She says that it\u2019s because the Buddha does not permit ladies to go forth. Sir, please let ladies gain the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.\u201d \u201cEnough, \u0100nanda. Don\u2019t endorse the going forth for ladies from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.\u201d For a second time \u2026 For a third time, \u0100nanda said to the Buddha: \u201cSir, please let ladies gain the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.\u201d \u201cEnough, \u0100nanda. Don\u2019t endorse the going forth for ladies from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.\u201d Then Venerable \u0100nanda thought, \u201cThe Buddha does not permit ladies to go forth. Why don\u2019t I try another approach?\u201d Then Venerable \u0100nanda said to the Buddha, \u201cSir, is a lady able to realize the fruits of stream-entry, once-return, non-return, and perfection once she has gone forth?\u201d \u201cShe is able, \u0100nanda.\u201d \u201cIf a lady is able to realize the fruits of stream-entry, once-return, non-return, and perfection once she has gone forth. Sir, Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati has been very helpful to the Buddha. As his aunt, she raised him, nurtured him, and gave him her milk. When the Buddha\u2019s birth mother passed away, she nurtured him at her own breast. Sir, please let ladies gain the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.\u201d \u201c\u0100nanda, if Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati Gotam\u012b accepts these eight principles of respect, that will be her ordination. A nun, even if she has been ordained for a hundred years, should bow down to a monk who was ordained that very day. She should rise up for him, greet him with cupped palms, and observe proper etiquette toward him. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. A nun should not commence the rainy season residence in a monastery without monks. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. Each fortnight the nuns should expect two things from the community of monks: the date of the sabbath, and visiting for advice. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. After completing the rainy season residence the nuns should invite admonition from the communities of both monks and nuns in regard to anything that was seen, heard, or suspected. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. A nun who has committed a grave offense should undergo penance in the communities of both monks and nuns for a fortnight. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. A trainee nun who has trained in the six rules for two years should seek ordination from the communities of both monks and nuns. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. A nun should not abuse or insult a monk in any way. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. From this day forth it is forbidden for nuns to criticize monks, but it is not forbidden for monks to criticize nuns. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. If Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati Gotam\u012b accepts these eight principles of respect, that will be her ordination.\u201d Then \u0100nanda, having learned these eight principles of respect from the Buddha himself, went to Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati Gotam\u012b and said: \u201cGotam\u012b, if you accept eight principles of respect, that will be your ordination. A nun, even if she has been ordained for a hundred years, should bow down to a monk who was ordained that very day. She should rise up for him, greet him with cupped palms, and observe proper etiquette toward him. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. \u2026 From this day forth it is forbidden for nuns to criticize monks, but it is not forbidden for monks to criticize nuns. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. If you accept these eight principles of respect, that will be your ordination.\u201d \u201c\u0100nanda, suppose there was a woman or man who was young, youthful, and fond of adornments, and had bathed their head. After getting a garland of lotuses, jasmine, or liana flowers, they would take them in both hands and place them on the crown of the head. In the same way, sir, I accept these eight principles of respect as not to be transgressed so long as life lasts.\u201d Then Venerable \u0100nanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: \u201cSir, Mah\u0101paj\u0101pati Gotam\u012b has accepted the eight principles of respect as not to be transgressed so long as life lasts.\u201d \u201c\u0100nanda, if ladies had not gained the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One, the spiritual life would have lasted long. The true teaching would have remained for a thousand years. But since they have gained the going forth, now the spiritual life will not last long. The true teaching will remain only five hundred years. It\u2019s like those families with many women and few men. They\u2019re easy prey for bandits and grain-jar thieves. In the same way, the spiritual life does not last long in a teaching and training where ladies gain the going forth. It\u2019s like a field full of rice. Once the disease called \u2018white bones\u2019 attacks, it doesn\u2019t last long. In the same way, the spiritual life does not last long in a teaching and training where ladies gain the going forth. It\u2019s like a field full of sugarcane. Once the disease called \u2018red rot\u2019 attacks, it doesn\u2019t last long. In the same way, the spiritual life does not last long in a teaching and training where ladies gain the going forth. As a man might build a dyke around a large lake as a precaution against the water overflowing, in the same way as a precaution I\u2019ve prescribed the eight principles of respect as not to be transgressed so long as life lasts.\u201d","title":"With Gotam\u012b","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1490}