Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pj 1Sexual Intercourse

Explanation of the Methunadhamma Sutta (The Dharma of Sexual Intercourse)

Background

This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Pātimokkha section, the basic code regulating the practice life of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha-Dharma. The Vinaya Piṭaka records the rules set forth by the Buddha to maintain purity and harmony in the monastic community, as well as to build a suitable environment for practice and attainment.

The Methunadhamma Sutta is found in the Pārājika section, the offenses leading to exclusion from the Sangha, of the discipline for male monastics. This is one of the most fundamental rules, placed first, reflecting its importance in the life of one gone forth.

Main Content

This rule states that if a bhikkhu has sexual contact (methuna-dhamma) with another person, whether male or female, he has violated a Pārājika rule, meaning he no longer has the status of a bhikkhu. The offender must leave the Sangha and cannot be readmitted.

In the context of the early Vinaya Piṭaka, “sexual contact” is not only the complete sexual act, but also includes any contact of an erotic nature between bodies. This shows the strictness of the rule concerning purity from sexual desire, one of the strongest mental tendencies that covers the human mind.

The text also describes specific cases and degrees of violation, helping the Sangha understand the boundary between permitted and forbidden acts. However, the Buddha also taught that this rule is not for punishment, but to educate and protect monastics who wish to be liberated from the worldly round.

Practical Meaning

The deeper purpose of the Methunadhamma rule is education in restraint of the senses and the mind. In early Buddha-Dharma, emotional pathways connected with sexuality are seen as a source of suffering and saṃsāra, the cycle of rebirth.