Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 4Lying Down With a Woman
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mātugāmasahaseyya
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Discourse on Lying Down With a Woman
Background
Mātugāmasahaseyya is a prohibition (pācittiya) in the Vinaya of the Theravāda tradition, recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the Pātimokkha for bhikkhunīs. This prohibition arose from the need to maintain mindful discipline and to limit situations that could lead to breaches of more serious rules.
According to the Theravāda tradition, the rules in the Vinaya are not merely mechanical restrictions, but guidelines that help monastics guard the mind from desire, where all other violations begin. Each prohibition is built upon the principle of prevention, “pāpanissita” (a basis for preventing evil from arising). This discourse concerns bodily relations between a bhikkhunī and a woman (called mātugāma, meaning “the class of women”), especially the act of lying down together.
Main Content
This prohibition states that a bhikkhunī should not lie down in the same place with a woman in situations that may arouse desire or create an improper appearance. “Lying down” (sahaseyya) here does not refer only to lying on the same bed, but also includes close bodily contact that may give rise to impure thoughts.
The Pātimokkha states that if a bhikkhunī intentionally lies down with a woman, this act constitutes a pācittiya, that is, an offense requiring confession and repentance. This is a middle level of offense, lighter than the pārājika offenses, which entail loss of status, such as lying, sexual intercourse, or theft, but it still requires attention and correction of conduct.
The reason for this prohibition lies deep in Theravāda philosophy: the mind is regarded as the place where all actions begin. Bodily stimuli can unsettle the mind and lead to thoughts of desire. This rule does not judge the nature of the relationship; rather, it protects the purity of the mind, which is the fundamental aim of Buddhist practice.
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