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Ovādasutta

An Adviser for Nuns

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to the Buddha:

“katihi nu kho, bhante, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu bhikkhunovādako sammannitabbo”ti?
“Sir, how many qualities should a monk have to be deemed an adviser for nuns?”

“Aṭṭhahi kho, ānanda, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu bhikkhunovādako sammannitabbo.
“Ānanda, a monk with eight qualities may be deemed an adviser for nuns.

Katamehi aṭṭhahi?
What eight?

Idhānanda, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti …pe… samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu;
Firstly, a monk is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

bahussuto hoti …pe… diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā;
They’re learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s totally full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reciting them, mentally scrutinizing them, and comprehending them theoretically.

ubhayāni kho panassa pātimokkhāni vitthārena svāgatāni honti suvibhattāni suppavattīni suvinicchitāni suttaso anubyañjanaso;
Both monastic codes have been passed down to them in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, well evaluated in both the rules and accompanying material.

kalyāṇavāco hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo, poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā;
They’re a good speaker. Their voice is polished, clear, articulate, and expresses the meaning.

paṭibalo hoti bhikkhunisaṅghassa dhammiyā kathāya sandassetuṁ samādapetuṁ samuttejetuṁ sampahaṁsetuṁ;
They’re able to educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire the community of nuns.

yebhuyyena bhikkhunīnaṁ piyo hoti manāpo;
They’re likable and agreeable to most of the nuns.

na kho panetaṁ bhagavantaṁ uddissa pabbajitāya kāsāyavatthavasanāya garudhammaṁ ajjhāpannapubbo hoti;
They have never previously sexually harassed any woman wearing the ocher robe who has gone forth in the Buddha’s name.

vīsativasso vā hoti atirekavīsativasso vā.
They have been ordained for twenty years or more.

Imehi kho, ānanda, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu bhikkhunovādako sammannitabbo”ti.
A monk with these eight qualities may be deemed an adviser for nuns.”

Dutiyaṁ.