Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga: Pācittiya 9

Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law

The Nuns’ Analysis

The chapter on offenses entailing confession

The subchapter on garlic

Disposing of waste on plants

Origin story

1 At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time a brahmin had a barley field next to the nunnery. The nuns disposed of feces, urine, trash, and food scraps in that field. The brahmin complained and criticized them, “How could the nuns spoil my barley field?”

The nuns heard the complaints of that brahmin, and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How could nuns dispose of feces, urine, trash, and food scraps on cultivated plants?” … “Is it true, monks, that nuns did this?”

“It’s true, sir.”

The Buddha rebuked them, “How could nuns do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

Final ruling

‘If a nun disposes of feces or urine or trash or food scraps on cultivated plants, or she has it disposed of in this way, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Definitions

2 A:

whoever …

Nun:

… The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case.

Feces:

excrement is what is meant.

Urine:

pee is what is meant.

Trash:

refuse is what is meant.

Food scraps:

food remnants or bones or wastewater.

Cultivated plants:

grain, vegetables, whatever cultivated plants people consider valuable or useful.

Disposes of:

if she disposes of it herself, she commits an offense entailing confession.

Has it disposed of:

in asking another, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she only asks once, then even if the other disposes of such things many times, she commits one offense entailing confession.

Permutations

If they are cultivated plants, and she perceives them as such, and she disposes of it or has it disposed of, she commits an offense entailing confession. If they are cultivated plants, but she is unsure of it, and she disposes of it or has it disposed of, she commits an offense entailing confession. If they are cultivated plants, but she perceives them as uncultivated, and she disposes of it or has it disposed of, she commits an offense entailing confession.

If they are uncultivated plants, but she perceives them as cultivated, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If they are uncultivated plants, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If they are uncultivated plants, and she perceives them as such, there is no offense.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if she disposes of it after having looked; if she disposes of it at the edge of the field; if she disposes of it after asking and getting permission from the owners; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.

The ninth training rule is finished.