Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 154Getting Novices to Massage

Sutta on Supervising Novice Nuns in Massage Work

Background

This regulation belongs to the Vinaya-piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the collection of rules for bhikkhunīs. In the context of the early community of monks and nuns, the Blessed Buddha built a detailed legal system in order to protect the purity of the Sangha and maintain discipline among the renunciant disciples.

The rule concerning the supervision of novice nuns (sāmaṇerī, which may refer to novice female monastics or young female monastics) performing massage work (ummaddāpana) belongs to the context of daily labor in the monastic community. At that time, massage was not a commercial service as it is today, but a form of health care and internal service within the monastery. However, early Buddhism recognized that such activities needed to be carefully regulated in order to avoid the possibility of violating the pāramitās or the five precepts, and especially to avoid dangers connected with sensual desire.

Main Content

The sutta states that when bhikkhunīs, or novices in the monastic community, participate in massage work for others in the community, there must be proper supervision and support. This includes the following:

First, older or more experienced bhikkhunīs must be responsible for guiding younger bhikkhunīs in how to perform the task properly. This guidance concerns not only massage technique, but also questions of posture, manner, and respect toward the person being cared for.

Second, the rule emphasizes that such activities must be performed in a space and context fully consistent with monastic standards. They must not be performed under unsuitable conditions or in ways that could lead to misunderstandings or improper conduct.