Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 178Massaging a female wanderer

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 178

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, at the city of Śrāvastī. At that time, the bhikkhunī Kākacandathauna was the elder sister of a female wanderer of another sect. That bhikkhunī instructed her younger sister, the female wanderer, to rub and massage fragrant ointment onto her body. The lay people who saw this mocked and criticized her, saying: "This bhikkhunī has no sense of shame; she violates the holy life. Outwardly she proclaims, 'I know the true Dharma.' What kind of true Dharma is this? She instructs her younger sister, a wanderer of another sect, to rub and massage fragrant ointment onto her body—just like prostitutes and wicked women!"

The bhikkhunīs heard of this. Among them were those who had few desires, were content, practiced the dhūta qualities, delighted in training in the precepts, and had a sense of shame. They reproached bhikkhunī Kākacandathauna: "Why did you instruct your younger sister, a wanderer of another sect, to rub and massage fragrant ointment onto your body?"

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 cause and condition, assembled the Saṃgha of bhikkhus and reproached bhikkhunī Kākacandathauna:

"What you have done is wrong; it is not proper conduct, not the practice of a śramaṇa, not pure conduct, not proper behavior—it is something that should not be done. Why did you instruct your younger sister, a wanderer of another sect, to rub and massage fragrant ointment onto your body?"

Having reproached her with countless 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 will lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the purpose of enabling the true Dharma to endure long."

The precept should be recited as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī instructs a female wanderer of another sect to rub and massage fragrant ointment onto her body: pācittiya.

B. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Whatever bhikkhunī instructs a female wanderer of another sect to rub and massage fragrant ointment onto her body: pācittiya.

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

Non-offense: If one is afflicted with some illness, or is seized by force—in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits it for the first time before the precept has been promulgated; one who is insane, mentally deranged, or in extreme 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: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002