TheravādaBu Ss 4HOLYMAP · SACRED TEXTS
Vinaya PiṭakaBu Ss 4

Vinaya Piṭaka

Bu Ss 4

4. Attakāmapāricariyasikkhāpada

1
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

Encouraging a woman to satisfy one’s desires Origin story

At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time Venerable Udāyī was associating with and visiting a number of families in Sāvatthī. One morning Udāyī robed up, took his bowl and robe, and went to the house of a beautiful widow where he sat down on the prepared seat. She then approached Udāyī, bowed, and sat down. And Udāyī instructed, inspired, and gladdened her with a teaching. She then said, “Venerable, please tell me what you need. I can give robe-cloth, almsfood, a dwelling, and medicinal supplies.” “It’s not hard for us to get those requisites. Give instead what’s hard for us to get.” “What’s that, venerable?” “Sexual intercourse.” “Is it wanted now?” “Yes.” Saying, “Come,” she entered her bedroom, took off her wrap, and lay back on the bed. Udāyī went up to her and spat out, “Who would touch this stinking wretch!” and he left. That woman then complained and criticized him, “These Sakyan monastics are shameless and immoral liars. They claim to have integrity, to be celibate and of good conduct, to be truthful, moral, and good. But they don’t have the good character of a monastic or a brahmin. They’ve lost the plot! How could the ascetic Udāyī ask for sexual intercourse from me, but then spit out, ‘Who would touch this stinking wretch!’ and leave? What’s bad about me? How am I stinking? How am I inferior to anyone?”

2
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

Other women, too, criticized him in the same way. The monks heard the criticism of those women, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized him, “How could Venerable Udāyī encourage a woman to satisfy his own desires?” Those monks rebuked Udāyī in many ways and then told the Buddha. The Buddha had the Sangha gathered and questioned Udāyī: “Is it true, Udāyī, that you did this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked him, “It’s not suitable, foolish man, it’s not proper, it’s not worthy of a monastic, it’s not allowable, it’s not to be done. How could you do such a thing? Haven’t I given many teachings for the sake of dispassion, not for the sake of passion … the stilling of the fevers of worldly pleasures? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

19
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

Final ruling

‘If a monk, overcome by lust and with a distorted mind, encourages a woman to satisfy his own desires, saying, “Sister, she provides the highest service who in this way satisfies one like me, who is virtuous, celibate, and of good character,” and if it is a reference to sexual intercourse, he commits an offense entailing suspension.’”

2
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

Definitions

A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case. Overcome by lust: having lust, longing for, in love with. Distorted: a lustful mind is distorted; an angry mind is distorted; a confused mind is distorted. But in this case “distorted” refers to the lustful mind. A woman: a human female, not a female spirit, not a female ghost, not a female animal. She understands and is capable of discerning good and bad speech, what is decent and what is indecent. A woman: near a woman, close to a woman. His own desires: his own desires, for the sake of himself, aiming at himself, satisfying himself. The highest: this is the highest, this is the best, this is the foremost, this is the utmost, this is the most excellent. She: a female aristocrat, a female brahmin, a female merchant, or a female worker. One like me: a male aristocrat, a male brahmin, a male merchant, or a male worker. Who is virtuous: one who refrains from killing living beings, who refrains from stealing, who refrains from lying. Celibate: one who refrains from sexual intercourse. Of good character: he is one of good character because of that virtue and because of being celibate. In this way: with sexual intercourse. Satisfies: gives pleasure to. If it is a reference to sexual intercourse: if it is connected with the sexual act. He commits an offense entailing suspension: … Therefore, too, it is called an offense entailing suspension.

1
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

Permutations Encouraging sexual intercourse to a single person or animal

It is a woman, he perceives her as a woman, and he has lust. If the monk encourages the woman to satisfy his own desires, he commits an offense entailing suspension. It is a woman, but he is unsure of it … It is a woman, but he perceives her as a paṇḍaka … It is a woman, but he perceives her as a man … It is a woman, but he perceives her as an animal, and he has lust. If the monk encourages the woman to satisfy his own desires, he commits a serious offense. It is a paṇḍaka, he perceives him as a paṇḍaka, and he has lust. If the monk encourages the paṇḍaka to satisfy his own desires, he commits a serious offense. It is a paṇḍaka, but he is unsure of it … It is a paṇḍaka, but he perceives him as a man … It is a paṇḍaka, but he perceives him as an animal … It is a paṇḍaka, but he perceives him as a woman, and he has lust. If the monk encourages the paṇḍaka to satisfy his own desires, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. It is a man … (To be expanded as above with appropriate adjustments.) … It is an animal, he perceives it as an animal … It is an animal, but he is unsure of it … It is an animal, but he perceives it as a woman … It is an animal, but he perceives it as a paṇḍaka … It is an animal, but he perceives it as a man, and he has lust. If the monk encourages the animal to satisfy his own desires, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

23
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

Encouraging sexual intercourse to two beings of the same kind

It is two women, he perceives them both as women, and he has lust.

24
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

If the monk encourages both women to satisfy his own desires, he commits two offenses entailing suspension. … (To be expanded as in Bu Ss 2:3.2.4–3.2.36, with appropriate substitutions.) …

26
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

Encouraging sexual intercourse to two beings of different kinds

It is a woman and a paṇḍaka, but he perceives both as women, and he has lust.

27
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

If the monk encourages both of them to satisfy his own desires, he commits one offense entailing suspension and one offense of wrong conduct. … (To be expanded as in Bu Ss 2:3.3.4–3.3.61, with appropriate substitutions.) …

2
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if he says, “Support us with robe-cloth, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal supplies;” if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

1
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

Case studies

On one occasion a barren woman said to a monk who associated with her family, “Sir, how can I get pregnant?” “Well, sister, give the highest gift.” “What’s that?” “Sexual intercourse.” He became anxious … “You’ve committed an offense entailing suspension.”

2
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

On one occasion a fertile woman said to a monk who associated with her family, “Sir, how can I get a child?” “Well, sister, give the highest gift.” “What’s that?” “Sexual intercourse.” He became anxious … “You’ve committed an offense entailing suspension.”

3
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

On one occasion a woman said to a monk who associated with her family, “Sir, how can I get my husband to love me?” “Well, sister, give the highest gift.” “What’s that?” “Sexual intercourse.” He became anxious … “You’ve committed an offense entailing suspension.” On one occasion a woman said to a monk who associated with her family, “Sir, how can I become more fortunate?” “Well, sister, give the highest gift.” “What’s that?” “Sexual intercourse.” He became anxious … “You’ve committed an offense entailing suspension.”

4
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

On one occasion a woman said to a monk who associated with her family, “Sir, what may I give you?” “The highest gift, sister.” “What’s that?” “Sexual intercourse.” He became anxious … “You’ve committed an offense entailing suspension.”

5
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

On one occasion a woman said to a monk who associated with her family, “Sir, how may I support you?” “With the highest gift, sister.” “What’s that?” “Sexual intercourse.” He became anxious … “You’ve committed an offense entailing suspension.”

6
English · Bhikkhu Brahmali

On one occasion a woman said to a monk who associated with her family, “Sir, how can I get a good rebirth?” “Well, sister, give the highest gift.” “What’s that?” “Sexual intercourse.” He became anxious … “You’ve committed an offense entailing suspension.”

1
Bu Ss 4English
2
Bu Ss 40%

Vinaya Piṭaka

Find your chapter.

411 chapters

Make yourself comfortable.

PAGE COLOUR

TEXT SIZE

100%

Your preferences stay with you on this device.

ORIGINALS & TRANSLATIONS

Choose your edition.

Select one edition for quiet reading, or several to compare the words.

Pāli text: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka Buddhavasse 2500 (M.L. Maniratana Bunnag Dhamma Society Fund), as published by SuttaCentral. Public domain. · Source ↗

Pāli text: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka, via SuttaCentral. Public domain.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali. SuttaCentral, dedicated to the public domain (CC0). · Source ↗

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali (SuttaCentral), dedicated to the public domain via CC0. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

↑
Explore the atlas
↑ ↓ to explore   ·   Enter to open   ·   Esc to close