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6. The Section on Things to be Confessed 1. The First Rule to be Confessed Venerables, these four rules to be confessed come up for recitation. 552. At that time, the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling in Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time, a certain bhikkhunī, having wandered for alms in Sāvatthī, at the time of returning, seeing a certain bhikkhu, said this: “Come, venerable, accept alms food.” “Very well, sister,” he took all of it. At a later time, she was unable to wander for alms, she was deprived of food. Then, that bhikkhunī, on the second day…and so on…on the third day, having wandered for alms in Sāvatthī, at the time of returning, seeing that bhikkhu, said this: “Come, venerable, accept alms food.” “Very well, sister,” he took all of it. At a later time, she was unable to wander for alms, she was deprived of food. Then, on the fourth day, that bhikkhunī was walking, staggering in the street. A householder, a banker, coming along the road in a carriage, said to that bhikkhunī: “Get out of the way, venerable!” As she moved aside, she fell right there. The householder, the banker, apologized to that bhikkhunī: “Forgive me, venerable, I knocked you down.” “I was not knocked down by you, householder. Rather, I myself am weak.” “Why are you weak, venerable?” Then, that bhikkhunī reported this matter to the householder, the banker. The householder, the banker, taking that bhikkhunī home and feeding her, complained, grumbled, and criticized: “How can the venerable ones accept raw food from the hand of a bhikkhunī! A woman is difficult to obtain food from!” The bhikkhus heard that householder, the banker, complaining, grumbling, and criticizing. Those bhikkhus who were of few desires…and so on…they complained, grumbled, and criticized: “How can a bhikkhu accept raw food from the hand of a bhikkhunī!” …and so on ... "Is it true, monk, that you received food from a bhikkhunī's hand?" "It is true, Blessed One." "Is she your relative, monk, or not your relative?" "She is not my relative, Blessed One." "A stranger, foolish man, does not know what is proper or improper, what is good or bad, from a strange woman. How can you, foolish man, receive food from the hand of a bhikkhunī who is not your relative? This, foolish man, is not for the conversion of the unconverted... (etc.)... And thus, monks, you should recite this training rule: 553. "Should any monk receive with his own hand and eat or consume food or edibles from the hand of a bhikkhunī who is not his relative, having entered a house, that monk must confess it: 'Friends, I have fallen into a blameworthy deed, an unsuitable deed, one that must be confessed; I confess it.'" 554. "Any" means whoever, whatever kind... (etc.)... "Monk" means... (etc.)... this is the monk intended in this context. "Not a relative" means not connected by mother or father up to the seventh generation of grandfathers. "Bhikkhunī" means one who has received ordination in both Sanghas. "Having entered a house" means a street, a crossroads, a square, a house. "Edibles" means the five kinds of food—excluding food for a specific time, food for a week, and food for life—the rest is called edibles. "Food" means the five kinds of food—boiled rice, gruel, flour, fish, meat. If he receives it with the intention "I will eat, I will consume," there is an offense of wrong-doing. With each mouthful, there is an offense of confession. 555. If, knowing she is not a relative, he receives with his own hand and eats or consumes food or edibles from the hand of a bhikkhunī who is not his relative, having entered a house, there is an offense of confession. If, being in doubt about a non-relative, he receives with his own hand and eats or consumes food or edibles from the hand of a bhikkhunī who is not his relative, having entered a house, there is an offense of confession. If, thinking she is a relative, he receives from a non-relative... For one who has entered among the houses, having received edibles or food from a nun's hand with one's own hand, and eats or consumes it, there is an offense of acknowledgment. If one receives it for food, that which is for a specific time, for seven days, or for life, there is an offense of wrong-doing. With each mouthful, with each mouthful, there is an offense of wrong-doing. From the hand of a fully ordained nun, edibles or food— thinking, "I will eat, I will consume"— if one receives it, there is an offense of wrong-doing. With each mouthful, with each mouthful, there is an offense of wrong-doing. If one perceives a relative as a non-relative, there is an offense of wrong-doing. If one is in doubt about a relative, there is an offense of wrong-doing. If one perceives a relative as a relative, there is no offense. 556. There is no offense for a relative, if one causes it to be given but does not give it oneself, if one places it down and then gives it within the monastery, in a nun's dwelling, in a heretic's dwelling, in a place of retreat, if one brings it out from the village and gives it, if one gives that which is for a specific time, for seven days, or for life, saying, "consume it when there is occasion," for a female trainee, for a female novice, for an insane person, for the first offender. The first rule of acknowledgment is finished. 2. The Second Rule of Acknowledgment 557. At that time, the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels' Feeding Place. At that time, monks invited to houses were eating. The group-of-six nuns stood admonishing the group-of-six monks, saying, "Give sauce here, give rice here." The group-of-six monks ate as much as they wanted. Other monks did not eat to their satisfaction. Those monks who were of few wishes... they complained, grumbled, and criticized, "How can the group-of-six monks not restrain the nuns who are admonishing them?"... "Is it true, monks, that you do not restrain the nuns who are admonishing you?" "It is true, Blessed One." The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them... "How can you, foolish men, not restrain the nuns who are admonishing them! This, foolish men, is not for the appeasement of the unappeased..." …etc.… And thus, monks, you should recite this training rule: 558. When monks, indeed, invited in families, are eating, and if there, a bhikkhunī stands, acting presumptuously – saying, ‘Give soup here, give rice here,’ that bhikkhunī should be dismissed by those monks – saying, ‘Move aside for now, sister, while the monks are eating.’ And if it does not occur to even one monk to dismiss that bhikkhunī – saying, ‘Move aside for now, sister, while the monks are eating,’ it should be confessed by those monks – saying, ‘Friends, we have fallen into a blameworthy, unsuitable, and confessable offense; we confess it.’ 559. ‘Monks, indeed, invited in families, are eating’ – ‘family’ means four kinds of families – a warrior family, a brahmin family, a merchant family, a worker family. ‘Invited, are eating’ – means invited with one of the five kinds of food, they eat. ‘Bhikkhunī’ means one who has received ordination in both Sanghas. ‘Presumptuous’ means as if a friend, as if well-known, as if sharing, as if having the same preceptor, as if having the same teacher – saying, ‘Give soup here, give rice here.’ This is what is meant by ‘presumptuous’. ‘By those monks’ means by the monks who are eating. ‘That bhikkhunī’ means that bhikkhunī who is acting presumptuously. That bhikkhunī should be dismissed by those monks – saying, ‘Move aside for now, sister, while the monks are eating.’ And if, by even one monk, she is not dismissed – and she accepts, thinking, ‘I will eat, I will consume,’ there is an offense of wrong-doing. For every mouthful, there is an offense of confessable wrong-doing. 560. If, regarding an ordained bhikkhunī, one perceives her as ordained, and she is acting presumptuously, and one does not restrain her, there is an offense of confessable wrong-doing. If, regarding an ordained bhikkhunī, one is in doubt, and she is acting presumptuously, and one does not restrain her, there is an offense of confessable wrong-doing. If, regarding an ordained bhikkhunī, one perceives her as unordained, and she is acting presumptuously, and one does not restrain her, there is an offense… Of the Pāṭidesanīya. If he does not prevent a fully ordained nun, alone, from making known her wish, there is an offense of wrong-doing. To one not fully ordained, perceiving her as fully ordained, there is an offense of wrong-doing. To one not fully ordained, being in doubt, there is an offense of wrong-doing. To one not fully ordained, perceiving her as not fully ordained, there is no offense. 561. No offense: if he causes his own food to be given, but does not give it; if he gives food to others, but does not cause it to be given; if he causes that which was not given to be given; if he causes it to be given where it was not given; if he causes it to be given equally to all; if a probationer makes known her wish; if a novice makes known her wish; everywhere except for the five kinds of food. No offense for one who is insane, for the first offender. The second Pāṭidesanīya training rule is concluded. 3. The third Pāṭidesanīya training rule. 562. At that time, the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling in Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Now at that time, in Sāvatthī, a certain family was devoted to both (monks and nuns). It grew in faith, but diminished in wealth. Whatever edibles or foods arose in that family before mealtime, they gave all of it to the bhikkhus, and sometimes they themselves went without food. People complained, grumbled, and criticized: "How can these Sakyan recluses accept things without knowing moderation! These people give to them, and sometimes they themselves go without food!" The bhikkhus heard those people complaining, grumbling, and criticizing.