Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 154Getting Novices to Massage

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 154

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, at Sāvatthī. At that time, the group of six bhikkhunīs instructed novice nuns (sāmaṇerīs) to rub and massage their bodies. Laypeople who saw this were indignant and complained: "These bhikkhunīs have no sense of shame or remorse; they commit impure conduct. Outwardly they claim to know the true Dharma. But what is there of true Dharma in this? Instructing novice nuns to rub and massage their bodies—they are no different from lewd women and wanton women!"

The bhikkhunīs heard this, and among them were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the austere dhūta qualities, who were fond of training in the precepts, who had a sense of shame and remorse; these censured the group of six bhikkhunīs: "Why have you instructed novice nuns to rub and massage your bodies?"

The bhikkhunīs reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha and rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong, unbecoming, not in accord with the deportment of monastics, not in accord with the Dharma of renunciants, not pure conduct, not befitting behavior—it is something that ought not to be done. Why have you instructed novice nuns to rub and massage your bodies?"

Having rebuked them with many expedient means, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"These bhikkhunīs are a field that cultivates many seeds of the āsavas; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the purpose of causing the true Dharma to abide long."

The precept should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhunī instructs a novice nun to rub and massage her body—pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Whatever bhikkhunī instructs a novice nun to rub and massage her body—pācittiya.

A bhikkhu: dukkaṭa. A sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, a sāmaṇerī: dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if one is afflicted with some illness, or is compelled 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 promulgated, one who is insane, one whose mind is disturbed, one who is overwhelmed by pain and distress.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Publications Committee, 2002