Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law

The Nuns’ Analysis

The chapter on offenses entailing confession

The subchapter on garlic

The training rule on disposing of feces

Origin story

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,

a brahmin who had earned money by working for the king thought, “I’ll ask for my wages.” After washing his hair, he walked past the nuns’ dwelling place on his way to the king’s residence.

Just then, after defecating in a pot, a nun disposed of the feces over a wall, and it landed on the head of that brahmin.

He complained and criticized the nuns,

“They’re not monastics, these shaven-headed sluts!

How can they dump shit on my head?

I’m gonna burn their place down!”

And he got hold of a firebrand and entered their dwelling place.

Just then a lay follower who was coming out from the nuns’ dwelling place saw that brahmin with a firebrand on his way in,

and he said to him,

“Sir, why are you entering the nuns’ dwelling place with a firebrand?”

“These shaven-headed sluts dumped shit on my head.

I’m gonna burn their place down!”

“But this is auspicious, brahmin!

You’ll get your wages and a thousand coins in addition.”

That brahmin then washed his hair, went to the king’s residence, and he got his wages and a thousand coins in addition.

But that lay follower returned to the nuns’ dwelling place, told them what had happened, and then scolded them.

The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them,

“How can nuns dispose of feces over a wall?” …

“Is it true, monks, that nuns do this?”

“It’s true, Sir.”

The Buddha rebuked them,

“How can nuns dispose of feces over a wall?

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 over a wall or over an encircling wall, or she has it disposed of in this way, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Definitions

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 used water.

A wall:

there are three kinds of walls: walls made of bricks, walls made of stone, walls made of wood.

An encircling wall:

there are three kinds of encircling walls: encircling walls made of bricks, encircling walls made of stone, encircling walls made of wood.

Over a wall:

to the other side of the wall.

Over an encircling wall:

to the other side of the encircling wall.

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.

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

if she disposes of it after having looked;

if she disposes of it at a place where no one passes by;

if she is insane;

if she is the first offender.

The eighth training rule is finished.