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X, 17, 1.
ON THE DUTIES OF BHIKKHUNIS.
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17.
1. Now at that time there were found among the Bhikkhun's some who were [deformed in one or other of eleven ways]1.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that a woman on whom the upasampadâ initiation is being conferred, is to be questioned as touching the four-and-twenty Disqualifications. And thus, O Bhikkhus, is she to be questioned:
(1-11) "Have you any one or other of the eleven deformities [each repeated as above]?"
(12-16) "Have you any of the following diseases— leprosy, boils, dry leprosy, consumption, or fits?" (17) "Are you a human being?" (18) "Are you a female?"
(19) "Are you a free woman?" (20) "Are you free from debts?" (21) "Are you not in the king's service?"
(22) "Have your father and mother given their consent?"
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(23) "Are you full twenty years of age?" (24) "Are you duly provided with robes and almsbowl?"
'What is your name?"
1 Here follow a number of abnormities, deformities, or diseases,
Some
all of which have reference to the womb or its accessories. of them are unintelligible to us. Compare the corresponding section in respect to Bhikkhus at Mahâvagga I, 68.
Of these twenty-four, eleven are the deformities just referred to, and the rest are the same as those for Bhikkhus at Mahâvagga I, 76. The number of questions is, in fact, twenty-six, but the last two do not refer to Disqualifications.
For the reason of this, see Mahâvagga I, 63.
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