Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 152Getting Nuns to Massage

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 152

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Sāvatthī. At that time, the group of six bhikkhunīs instructed bhikkhunīs to massage their bodies. The laypeople who saw this all criticized them: "These bhikkhunīs have no sense of shame or remorse; they engage in impure conduct. Outwardly they claim to know the true Dharma. But how is this the true Dharma? They instruct bhikkhunīs to massage their bodies, just like prostitutes and loose women!"

The bhikkhunīs heard this, and among them were those who were of few desires, who were content, who practiced the ascetic virtues, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who knew shame. They rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs: "Why do you instruct bhikkhunīs to massage your bodies?"

The bhikkhunīs then reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, using this as the occasion, assembled the Bhikkhu Saṅgha and rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong. It is not proper conduct, not the practice of a renunciant, not pure conduct, not befitting behavior—it is something that should not be done. Why do you instruct bhikkhunīs to massage your bodies?"

Having rebuked them with countless skillful means, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"These bhikkhunīs are a field that cultivates many seeds of the tainted; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs, encompassing ten principles of meaning, up to and including the clause on the long endurance of the true Dharma."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī instructs a bhikkhunī to massage her body: pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhunī: the meaning is as stated above.

Whatever bhikkhunī instructs a bhikkhunī to massage her body: pācittiya.

A bhikkhu: dukkaṭa. A sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, a sāmaṇerī: dukkaṭa. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: if one is afflicted with some illness, or is seized by force, there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits the act for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is insane, mentally disturbed, or in severe pain and distress.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. FOUR-PART VINAYA, PART ONE

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, volumes 1 and 2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002