Bhikkhunīsutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.159

Numbered Discourses 4.159

16. Indriyavagga

16. Faculties

Bhikkhunīsutta

Nun

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery.

Atha kho aññatarā bhikkhunī aññataraṁ purisaṁ āmantesi:

And then a certain nun addressed a man,

“ehi tvaṁ, ambho purisa, yenayyo ānando tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena ayyassa ānandassa pāde sirasā vanda:

“Please, my friend, go to the venerable Ānanda, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him:

‘itthannāmā, bhante, bhikkhunī ābādhikinī dukkhitā bāḷhagilānā.

‘Sir, the nun named so-and-so is sick, suffering, and gravely ill.

Sā ayyassa ānandassa pāde sirasā vandatī’ti. Evañca vadehi:

She bows with her head to your feet.’ And then say:

‘sādhu kira, bhante, ayyo ānando yena bhikkhunupassayo yena sā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti.

‘Sir, please go to the nuns’ quarters to visit that nun out of sympathy.’”

“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:

“Yes, ma’am,” that man replied. He did as the nun asked.

“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.

Ānanda consented with silence.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena bhikkhunupassayo yena sā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami.

Then Ānanda robed up and went to the nuns’ quarters to visit that nun, taking his bowl and robe.

Addasā kho sā bhikkhunī āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

That nun saw Ānanda coming off in the distance.

Disvā sasīsaṁ pārupitvā mañcake nipajji.

She wrapped herself up from head to foot and laid down on her cot.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena sā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho āyasmā ānando taṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca:

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to her, and sat down on the seat spread out. Then Ānanda said to the nun:

“Āhārasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo āhāraṁ nissāya.

“Sister, this body is produced by food. Relying on food,

Āhāro pahātabbo.

you should give up food.

Taṇhāsambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo taṇhaṁ nissāya.

This body is produced by craving. Relying on craving,

Taṇhā pahātabbā.

you should give up craving.

Mānasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo mānaṁ nissāya.

This body is produced by conceit. Relying on conceit,

Māno pahātabbo.

you should give up conceit.

Methunasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo.

This body is produced by sex.

Methune ca setughāto vutto bhagavatā.

The Buddha spoke of breaking off everything to do with sex.

‘Āhārasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo āhāraṁ nissāya.

‘This body is produced by food. Relying on food,

Āhāro pahātabbo’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

you should give up food.’ This is what I said,

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

but why did I say it?

Idha, bhagini, bhikkhu paṭisaṅkhā yoniso āhāraṁ āhāreti:

Take a mendicant who reflects rationally on the food that they eat:

‘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.

‘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.’

So aparena samayena āhāraṁ nissāya āhāraṁ pajahati.

After some time, relying on food, they give up food.

‘Āhārasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo āhāraṁ nissāya āhāro pahātabbo’ti,

iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

That’s why I said what I said.

‘Taṇhāsambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo taṇhaṁ nissāya.

‘This body is produced by craving. Relying on craving,

Taṇhā pahātabbā’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

you should give up craving.’ This is what I said,

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

but why did I say it?

Idha, bhagini, bhikkhu suṇāti:

Take a mendicant who hears this:

‘itthannāmo kira bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti.

‘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.’

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

They think:

‘kudāssu nāma ahampi āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissāmī’ti.

‘Oh, when will I too realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom … in this very life …’

So aparena samayena taṇhaṁ nissāya taṇhaṁ pajahati.

After some time, relying on craving, they give up craving.

‘Taṇhāsambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo taṇhaṁ nissāya taṇhā pahātabbā’ti,

iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

That’s why I said what I said.

‘Mānasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo mānaṁ nissāya.

‘This body is produced by conceit. Relying on conceit,

Māno pahātabbo’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

you should give up conceit.’ This is what I said,

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

but why did I say it?

Idha, bhagini, bhikkhu suṇāti:

Take a mendicant who hears this:

‘itthannāmo kira bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti.

‘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.’

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

They think:

‘so hi nāma āyasmā āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissati;

‘Well, that venerable can realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom … in this very life …

kimaṅgaṁ panāhan’ti.

Why can’t I?’

So aparena samayena mānaṁ nissāya mānaṁ pajahati.

After some time, relying on conceit, they give up conceit.

‘Mānasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo, mānaṁ nissāya māno pahātabbo’ti,

iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

That’s why I said what I said.

Methunasambhūto ayaṁ, bhagini, kāyo.

‘This body is produced by sex.

Methune ca setughāto vutto bhagavatā”ti.

The Buddha spoke of breaking off everything to do with sex.’”

Atha kho sā bhikkhunī mañcakā vuṭṭhahitvā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā āyasmato ānandassa pādesu sirasā nipatitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:

Then that nun rose from her cot, placed her robe over one shoulder, bowed with her head to Ānanda’s feet, and said,

“accayo maṁ, bhante, accagamā, yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ, yāhaṁ evamakāsiṁ.

“I made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of me to act in that way.

Tassā me, bhante, ayyo ānando accayaṁ accayato paṭiggaṇhātu, āyatiṁ saṁvarāyā”ti.

Please, sir, accept my mistake for what it is, so I can restrain myself in future.”

“Taggha taṁ, bhagini, accayo accagamā, yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ, yā tvaṁ evamakāsi.

“Indeed, sister, you made a mistake. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of you to act in that way.

Yato ca kho tvaṁ, bhagini, accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikarosi, taṁ te mayaṁ paṭiggaṇhāma.

But since you have recognized your mistake for what it is, and have dealt with it properly, I accept it.

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

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.”

Navamaṁ.