Bhikkhunīsutta — Reader

Nun

Bhikkhunīsutta

So I have heard. At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery. And then a certain nun addressed a man, “Please, my friend, go to the venerable Ānanda, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him:

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. Atha kho aññatarā bhikkhunī aññataraṁ purisaṁ āmantesi: “ehi tvaṁ, ambho purisa, yenayyo ānando tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena ayyassa ānandassa pāde sirasā vanda:

‘Sir, the nun named so-and-so is sick, suffering, and gravely ill. She bows with her head to your feet.’ And then say: ‘Sir, please go to the nuns’ quarters to visit that nun out of sympathy.’” “Yes, ma’am,” that man replied. He did as the nun asked.

‘itthannāmā, bhante, bhikkhunī ābādhikinī dukkhitā bāḷhagilānā. Sā ayyassa ānandassa pāde sirasā vandatī’ti. Evañca vadehi: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, ayyo ānando yena bhikkhunupassayo yena sā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti. “Evaṁ, ayye”ti kho so puriso tassā bhikkhuniyā paṭissutvā yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so puriso āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:

Ānanda consented with silence.

“Itthannāmā, bhante, bhikkhunī ābādhikinī dukkhitā bāḷhagilānā. Sā āyasmato ānandassa pāde sirasā vandati, evañca vadeti: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, āyasmā ānando yena bhikkhunupassayo yena sā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti. Adhivāsesi kho āyasmā ānando tuṇhībhāvena.

Then Ānanda robed up and went to the nuns’ quarters to visit that nun, taking his bowl and robe. That nun saw Ānanda coming off in the distance. She wrapped herself up from head to foot and laid down on her cot. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to her, and sat down on the seat spread out. Then Ānanda said to the nun:

Atha kho āyasmā ānando nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena bhikkhunupassayo yena sā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho sā bhikkhunī āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvā sasīsaṁ pārupitvā mañcake nipajji. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena sā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho āyasmā ānando taṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca:

“Sister, this body is produced by food. Relying on food, you should give up food. This body is produced by craving. Relying on craving, you should give up craving.

“Āhārasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo āhāraṁ nissāya. Āhāro pahātabbo. Taṇhāsambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo taṇhaṁ nissāya. Taṇhā pahātabbā.

This body is produced by conceit. Relying on conceit, you should give up conceit. This body is produced by sex. The Buddha spoke of breaking off everything to do with sex.

Mānasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo mānaṁ nissāya. Māno pahātabbo. Methunasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo. Methune ca setughāto vutto bhagavatā.

‘This body is produced by food. Relying on food, you should give up food.’ This is what I said, but why did I say it? Take a mendicant who reflects rationally on the food that they eat:

‘Āhārasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo āhāraṁ nissāya. Āhāro pahātabbo’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Idha, bhagini, bhikkhu paṭisaṅkhā yoniso āhāraṁ āhāreti:

‘Not for fun, indulgence, adornment, or decoration, but only to sustain this body, to avoid harm, and to support spiritual practice. In this way, I shall put an end to old discomfort and not give rise to new discomfort, and I will have the means to keep going, blamelessness, and a comfortable abiding.’ After some time, relying on food, they give up food.

‘neva davāya na madāya na maṇḍanāya na vibhūsanāya, yāvadeva imassa kāyassa ṭhitiyā yāpanāya vihiṁsūparatiyā brahmacariyānuggahāya. Iti purāṇañca vedanaṁ paṭihaṅkhāmi, navañca vedanaṁ na uppādessāmi. Yātrā ca me bhavissati anavajjatā ca phāsuvihāro cā’ti. So aparena samayena āhāraṁ nissāya āhāraṁ pajahati.

That’s why I said what I said. ‘This body is produced by craving. Relying on craving, you should give up craving.’ This is what I said,

‘Āhārasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo āhāraṁ nissāya āhāro pahātabbo’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ. ‘Taṇhāsambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo taṇhaṁ nissāya. Taṇhā pahātabbā’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

but why did I say it? Take a mendicant who hears this: ‘They say that the mendicant named so-and-so has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.’ They think:

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Idha, bhagini, bhikkhu suṇāti: ‘itthannāmo kira bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. Tassa evaṁ hoti:

‘Oh, when will I too realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom … in this very life …’ After some time, relying on craving, they give up craving. That’s why I said what I said.

‘kudāssu nāma ahampi āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissāmī’ti. So aparena samayena taṇhaṁ nissāya taṇhaṁ pajahati. ‘Taṇhāsambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo taṇhaṁ nissāya taṇhā pahātabbā’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘This body is produced by conceit. Relying on conceit, you should give up conceit.’ This is what I said, but why did I say it? Take a mendicant who hears this:

‘Mānasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo mānaṁ nissāya. Māno pahātabbo’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Idha, bhagini, bhikkhu suṇāti:

‘They say that the mendicant named so-and-so has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.’ They think: ‘Well, that venerable can realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom … in this very life …

‘itthannāmo kira bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘so hi nāma āyasmā āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissati;

Why can’t I?’ After some time, relying on conceit, they give up conceit. That’s why I said what I said.

kimaṅgaṁ panāhan’ti. So aparena samayena mānaṁ nissāya mānaṁ pajahati. ‘Mānasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo, mānaṁ nissāya māno pahātabbo’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘This body is produced by sex. The Buddha spoke of breaking off everything to do with sex.’” Then that nun rose from her cot, placed her robe over one shoulder, bowed with her head to Ānanda’s feet, and said, “I made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of me to act in that way.

Methunasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo. Methune ca setughāto vutto bhagavatā”ti. Atha kho sā bhikkhunī mañcakā vuṭṭhahitvā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā āyasmato ānandassa pādesu sirasā nipatitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca: “accayo maṁ, bhante, accagamā, yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ, yāhaṁ evamakāsiṁ.

Please, sir, accept my mistake for what it is, so I can restrain myself in future.” “Indeed, sister, you made a mistake. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of you to act in that way. But since you have recognized your mistake for what it is, and have dealt with it properly, I accept it.

Tassā me, bhante, ayyo ānando accayaṁ accayato paṭiggaṇhātu, āyatiṁ saṁvarāyā”ti. “Taggha taṁ, bhagini, accayo accagamā, yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ, yā tvaṁ evamakāsi. Yato ca kho tvaṁ, bhagini, accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikarosi, taṁ te mayaṁ paṭiggaṇhāma.

For it is growth in the training of the Noble One to recognize a mistake for what it is, deal with it properly, and commit to restraint in the future.”

Vuddhi hesā, bhagini, ariyassa vinaye yo accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikaroti āyatiṁ saṁvaraṁ āpajjatī”ti. Navamaṁ.