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Caṇḍakālī

A nun, well-known for her quarrelsome propensities. She was a friend of Thullanandā, during whose absence the other nuns once expelled Caṇḍakālī from their midst. This act was greatly resented by Thullanandā and Caṇḍakālī was re-admitted (Vin.iv.230).

She is several times mentioned as starting quarrels with other nuns, and when they disagreed with her she threatened to denounce the Buddha and the nuns and to join some other Order, declaring that there were other Orders which were, in every way, as good as the Buddha’s. Once, when some of her colleagues asked her if she had seen something lost by them, she cursed them roundly and started to weep and create a scene (Vin.iv.276, 277).

She was charged with frequenting gatherings of laymen (Vin.iv.293, 309), and it is said (Vin.iv.333) that she joined Thullanandā in various vicious practices. She once applied for permission to ordain nuns (vuṭṭhāpanasammuti) but was refused, and on discovering that other nuns had obtained this permission she became violently abusive (Vin.iv.331).