Reply To: Monkhood:List of the 227 rules of Pātimokkha

#51110
Jittananto
Participant
  • The following links talk about the rules of Bhikkhunis Pātimokkha. The Bhikkhunis (Buddhist nuns) have 84 rules more than their male counterparts. Which comes to 311.

Bhikkhunīpātimokkhapāḷi

The Bhikkhunīs’ Code of Discipline

  • Bhikkhunis have a total of 8 pārājika. As a reminder, pārājika are faults which lead to expulsion for life from the Sangha. The 4 Pārājikas of Bhikkhus are the same as those of Bhikkhunis. Here are the other 4 that are specific to Bhikkhunis only.

5. Should any bhikkhunī, lusting, consent to a lusting man’s rubbing, rubbing up against, taking hold of, touching, or fondling (her) below the collar-bone and above the circle of the knees, she also is defeated and no longer in affiliation for being “one above the circle of the knees.” [See Bhikkhus’ Saṅghādisesa 2]

6. Should any bhikkhunī, knowing that (another) bhikkhunī has fallen into an act (entailing) defeat, neither accuse her herself nor inform the group, and then — whether she (the other bhikkhunī) is still alive or has died, has been expelled or gone over to another sect — she (this bhikkhunī) should say, “Even before, ladies, I knew of this bhikkhunī that ‘This sister is of such-and-such a sort,’ and I didn’t accuse her myself nor did I inform the group,” then she also is defeated and no longer in affiliation for being “one who concealed a fault.” [See Bhikkhus’ Pācittiya 64]

7. Should any bhikkhunī follow a bhikkhu who has been suspended by a united Community (of bhikkhus) in line with the Dhamma, in line with the Vinaya, in line with the teacher’s instructions, and who is disrespectful, has not made amends, has broken off his friendship (with the bhikkhus), the bhikkhunīs are to admonish her thus: “Lady, that bhikkhu has been suspended by a united Community in line with the Dhamma, in line with the Vinaya, in line with the teacher’s instructions. He is disrespectful, he has not made amends, he has broken off his friendship. Do not follow him, lady.” And should that bhikkhunī, thus admonished by the bhikkhunīs, persist as before, the bhikkhunīs are to rebuke her up to three times for the sake of relinquishing that. If while being rebuked up to three times she relinquishes that, that is good. If she does not relinquish that, then she also is defeated and no longer in affiliation for being “a follower of a suspended (bhikkhuī).”

8. Should any bhikkhunī, lusting, consent to a lusting man’s taking hold of her hand or touching the edge of her outer robe, or should she stand with him or converse with him or go to a rendezvous with him, or should she consent to his approaching her, or should she enter a hidden place with him, or should she dispose her body to him — (any of these) for the purpose of that unrighteous act (Comm: physical contact) — then she also is defeated and no longer in affiliation for “(any of) eight grounds.” 

“I think the whole thread is based on a misunderstanding on the evolution of the ancient texts. The patimokkhas are not the only collections of rules, we have thousands more rules in the khandhakas.

Historically, the Buddha laid down rules in the patimokkhas, but after he entered Nibbana, more rules needed to be made, as new situations came up, and the sangha spread to new locations with different climates and local customs. For the bhikkhus, the patimokkha was closed quite early and additional rules were collected in the khandhakas. For the bhikkhunis, additional rules were added to their patimokkha for centuries after the Buddha’s passing, until eventually, it became too long. From then on, more rules were put into the bhikkhuni khandhaka. Therefore, there’s a large discrepancy in size of the patimokkhas.

There are also other factors, such as decisions on how to organize the texts made by the monks at the first council.

Vinaya is a complex matter and best discussed with a knowledgeable monastic face-to-face. If you ask Vinaya questions on an online forum, there are going to be a lot of incorrect answers.”

  • Vinaya is extremely complex. This is why there is even a disciple specialized in this subject. Venerable Arahant Upali was the best in explaining the Vinaya after Lord Buddha. “Monks, among my disciple monks who strictly live by the Vinaya Rules, monk Upāli is the foremost (Etadagga).”