Pācittīyavagga

Vinayapiṭaka · Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga · Vol. 3 · Section 185

[185] At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now at that time a man who was a relative of a bhikkhunī (bhikkhunī), a pupil (antevāsinī) of Bhaddā Kāpilānī, went from a village to Sāvatthī on some business. Then that bhikkhunī, together with that man, one with one, in the darkness of the night, without a lamp, both stood together and conversed together. Those bhikkhunīs who were of few wishes … they criticized, denounced, and spread it about, saying: "How indeed can a bhikkhunī, in the darkness of the night, without a lamp, both stand together and converse together with a man, one with one?" … "Is it true, as is said, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhunī, in the darkness of the night, without a lamp, both stands together and converses together with a man, one with one?" "It is true, Blessed One." The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them: "How indeed, bhikkhus, can a bhikkhunī, in the darkness of the night, without a lamp, both stand together and converse together with a man, one with one? This, bhikkhus, is not for the confidence of those without confidence … And thus, bhikkhus, let the bhikkhunīs recite this training rule (sikkhāpada): "Should any bhikkhunī, in the darkness of the night, without a lamp, either stand together or converse together with a man, one with one, it is a pācittiya."

English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.

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