The occasion was this. The Buddha, the Blessed One, was living among the Sakyans in Nigrodha’s Park at Kapilavatthu. Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī went to him. She paid homage and stood at one side. Then she said: “Lord, it would be good if women could obtain the going forth from the house life into homelessness in the Dhamma and Discipline declared by the Perfect One.”
“Enough, Gotamī, do not ask for the going forth from the house life into homelessness for women in the Dhamma and Discipline declared by the Perfect One.”
She asked a second and a third time and was refused. Then she thought: “The Blessed One does not allow it,” and she was sad and unhappy. She paid homage to the Blessed One and departed, keeping him on her right.
Now when the Blessed One had stayed at Kapilavatthu as long as he chose, he set out to wander by stages to Vesālī. When he eventually arrived there, he went to live in the Hall with the Pointed Roof in the Great Wood.
Meanwhile Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī had her hair cut off and put on the yellow robe. With a number of Sakyan women she set out for Vesālī. On arrival there she went to the Hall with the Pointed Roof in the Great Wood, and she stood there outside the porch. Her feet were swollen, her limbs covered with dust, and she was sad and unhappy, with tears on her face and sobbing. As she stood thus, the venerable Ānanda saw her. He asked her: “Gotamī, why are you standing outside the porch like this?”
“Lord Ānanda, it is because the Blessed One does not allow the going forth for women in the Dhamma and Discipline declared by the Perfect One.”
“Then, Gotamī, wait here till I ask the Blessed One about this.” The venerable Ānanda went to the Blessed One and told him what had happened and he said: “Lord, it would be good if women might obtain the going forth from the house life into homelessness in the Dhamma and Discipline declared by the Perfect One.”
“Enough, Ānanda, do not ask for the going forth from the house life into homelessness for women in the Dhamma and Discipline declared by the Perfect One.”
He asked a second and a third time and was refused. Then he thought: “The Blessed One does not allow it. But suppose I asked the Blessed One in another way?” Then he said: “Lord, are women capable, after going forth from the house life into homelessness in the Dhamma and Discipline declared by the Perfect One, of realizing the fruit of stream-entry or once-return or non-return or Arahantship?”
“They are, Ānanda.” 2
“If that is so, Lord, then since Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī has been exceedingly helpful to the Blessed One when as his mother’s sister she was his nurse, his foster mother, his giver of milk—she suckled the Blessed One when his own mother died—since that is so, Lord, it would be good if women could obtain the going forth.”
“Ānanda, if Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī accepts eight capital points, that will count as her full admission. These are the eight points. A bhikkhuni who has been admitted even a hundred years must pay homage to, get up for, reverentially salute, and respectfully greet, a bhikkhu admitted that day. A bhikkhuni must not spend the rains in a place where there are no bhikkhus. Every half-month a bhikkhuni should expect two things from the Sangha of bhikkhus; the appointment of the Uposatha day of observance each half-month, and a visit for exhortation. At the end of the rains a bhikkhuni must invite criticism of both Sanghas in the three instances, that is, whether anything improper in her conduct has been seen, heard or suspected. When a bhikkhuni has committed a grave offence, she must do the penance before both Sanghas. A probationer who seeks admission must do so from both Sanghas and after training in the six things for two years. A bhikkhuni must not find fault with or abuse a bhikkhu in any manner at all. From today onwards it is not allowed for bhikkhunis to address discourses to bhikkhus, but it is allowed for bhikkhus to address bhikkhunis. These eight things are to be honoured, respected, revered and venerated, and they are not to be transgressed as long as life lasts. If Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī accepts these eight capital points, that will count as her full admission.’
When the venerable Ānanda had learned these eight capital points from the Blessed One, he went to Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī and told her what the Blessed One had said.
“Lord Ānanda, suppose a woman—-or a man—young, youthful, fond of ornaments, with head washed, had got a garland of lotuses or jasmine or roses, 3 she would accept it with both hands and place it on her head; so too do I accept these eight capital points not to be transgressed as long as life lasts.”
Then the venerable Ānanda returned to the Blessed One and told him: “Lord, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī has accepted the eight capital points. She is now fully admitted.”
“Ānanda, if women had not obtained the going forth from the house life into homelessness in the Dhamma and Discipline declared by the Perfect One, the holy life would have lasted long, the holy life would have lasted a thousand years. But now, since women have obtained it, the holy life will not last long, the holy life will last only five hundred years.
“Just as clans with many women and few men are easily ruined by robbers and bandits, so too in the Dhamma and Discipline in which women obtain the going forth the holy life does not last long. Just as when the blight called gray mildew falls on a field of ripening rice, that field of ripening rice does not last long—just as when the blight called red rust falls on a field of ripening sug-arcane, that field of ripening sugarcane does not last long—so too in the Dhamma and Discipline in which women obtain the going forth the holy life does not last long. As a man might construct in advance an embankment so that the waters of a great reservoir should not cause a flood, so I too have made known in advance these eight capital points for bhikkhunis not to be transgressed as long as life lasts.”
Vin. Cv. 10:1; A. 8:51
NARRATOR TWO. When she asked later for instructions about the Sakyan women who had accompanied her, the Buddha directed that the bhikkhus should give them the full admission as bhikkhunis. The bhikkhunis thus fully admitted then claimed that unlike themselves Mahāpajāpatī was not fully admitted. She appealed through the Elder Ānanda to the Buddha, who settled the dispute by repeating that her acceptance of the eight points was the full admission in her case. Later still she went to the Elder Ānanda asking him for the Buddha to allow bhikkhus and bhikkhunis to pay homage to seniors regardless of which of the two communities they belonged to. The Buddha’s answer was that no bhikkhu should pay homage to a bhikkhuni.
Nanamoli Bhikkhu
The Life of the Buddha
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