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Chapter Forty-Five<br />
Opening the Door<br />
Early one morning on his way to the lake to get some water, Ananda met Gotami and fifty other women standing not far from the Buddha’s<br />
hut. Every woman had shaved her head and was wearing a yellow robe. Their feet were swollen and bloody. At first glance, Ananda<br />
thought it was a delegation of monks, but suddenly he recognized Lady Gotami. Hardly able to believe his eyes, he blurted, “Good<br />
heavens, Lady Gotami! Where have you come from? Why are your feet so bloody? Why have you and all the ladies come here like this?”<br />
Gotami answered, “Venerable Ananda, we have shaved our heads and given away all our fine clothes and jewels. We no longer have<br />
any possessions in this world. We left Kapilavatthu and have walked for fifteen days, sleeping by the roadsides and begging for our food in<br />
small villages along the way. We wish to show that we are capable of living like bhikkhus. I beseech you, Ananda. Please speak to the<br />
Buddha on our behalf. We wish to be ordained as nuns.”<br />
Ananda said, “Wait here. I will speak to the Buddha at once. I promise to do all I can.”<br />
Ananda entered the Buddha’s hut just as the Buddha was putting on his robe. Nagita, the Buddha’s assistant at that time, was also<br />
present. Ananda t<strong>old</strong> the Buddha all he had just seen and heard. The Buddha did not say anything.<br />
Ananda then asked, “Lord, is it possible for a woman to attain the Fruits of Stream Enterer, Once-Returner, Never-Returner, and<br />
Arhatship?”<br />
The Buddha answered, “Beyond a doubt.”<br />
“Then why won’t you accept women into the sangha? Lady Gotami nurtured and cared for you from the time you were an infant. She<br />
has loved you like a son. Now she has shaved her head and renounced all her possessions. She has walked all the way from Kapilavatthu<br />
to prove that women can endure anything that men can. Please have compassion and allow her to be ordained.”<br />
The Buddha was silent for a long moment. He then asked Nagita to summon Venerables Sariputta, Moggallana, Anuruddha, Bhaddiya,<br />
Kimbila, and Mahakassapa. When they arrived, he discussed the situation with them at length. He explained that it was not discrimination<br />
against women which made him hesitant to ordain them. He was unsure how to open the sangha to women without creating harmful conflict<br />
both within and outside of the sangha.<br />
After a lengthy exchange of ideas, Sariputta said, “It would be wise to create statutes which define the roles of nuns within the sangha.<br />
Such statutes would diminish public opposition which is certain to erupt, since there has been discrimination against women for thousands of<br />
years. Please consider the following eight rules:<br />
“First, a nun, or bhikkhuni, will always defer to a bhikkhu, even if she is <strong>old</strong>er or has practiced longer than he has.<br />
“Second, all bhikkhunis must spend the retreat season at a center within reach of a center of bhikkhus in order to receive spiritual<br />
support and further study.<br />
“Third, twice a month, the bhikkhunis should delegate someone to invite the bhikkhus to decide on a date for uposatha, the special day<br />
of observance. A bhikkhu should visit the nuns, teach them, and encourage them in their practice.<br />
“Fourth, after the rainy season retreat, nuns must attend the Pavarana ceremony and present an account of their practice, not only before<br />
other nuns, but before the monks.<br />
“Fifth, whenever a bhikkhuni breaks a precept, she must confess before both the bhikkhunis and the bhikkhus.<br />
“Sixth, after a period of practice as a novice, a bhikkhuni will take full vows before the communities of both monks and nuns.<br />
“Seventh, a bhikkhuni should not criticize or censure a bhikkhu.<br />
“Eighth, a bhikkhuni will not give Dharma instruction to a community of bhikkhus.”<br />
Moggallana laughed. “These eight rules are clearly discriminatory. How can you pretend otherwise?”<br />
Sariputta replied, “The purpose of these rules is to open the door for women to join the sangha. They are not intended to discriminate<br />
but to help end discrimination. Don’t you see?”<br />
Moggallana nodded, acknowledging the merit of Sariputta’s statement.<br />
Bhaddiya said, “These eight rules are necessary. Lady Gotami has commanded much authority. She is the Lord’s mother. Without rules<br />
such as these, it would be difficult for anyone except the Buddha himself to guide her in her practice.”