Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 74Masturbation

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 74

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Blessed One was staying in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a group of six bhikkhunīs, their minds ablaze with sensual desire, had become pale in complexion and thin in body. When they entered the palace of King Prasenajit, the women of the palace saw this and asked:

"Sisters, what illness do you have?"

The bhikkhunīs said:

"We are simply unsatisfied."

The women asked:

"Unsatisfied with what?"

The bhikkhunīs said:

"Our minds are burning with sensual desire."

The women said:

"We live in the palace and usually have men available. When there are no men, we use objects mixed with glue fashioned into a male organ and insert them into the female organ—this satisfies our lustful desires yet is not called engaging in sexual intercourse. Why do the venerable ones not do likewise?"

The bhikkhunīs replied:

"Dear sisters, the Blessed One has laid down a precept forbidding this."

The women then said:

"Dear sisters, when we in the palace have men, that is one matter; when there are no men, we stimulate one another—this gives pleasure yet is not called engaging in sexual intercourse. Why do you not do the same?"

At that time, two among the group of six bhikkhunīs stimulated one another. Other bhikkhunīs who saw this assumed they were engaging in sexual intercourse with a man. Only when they arose was it known that no man was involved.

When the bhikkhunīs heard of this, among them were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the austere dhūta qualities, were fond of training in the precepts, and who possessed a sense of shame and remorse; they reproached the group of six bhikkhunīs: "Why did you stimulate one another?"

The bhikkhunīs went and reported this to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha, 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, contrary to proper deportment, contrary to the conduct of a śramaṇa, contrary to pure conduct, contrary to harmonious behavior—you have done what should not be done. Why did you stimulate one another?"

The Blessed One rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs by means of countless skillful means, and then said to the bhikkhus:

"These bhikkhunīs are a field in which many defiled seeds are sown; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs, for the sake of ten aims, up to and including the aim of causing the true Dharma to endure long."

To proclaim the precept, it should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhunī mutually stimulates another, it is a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: as defined above.

Mutually stimulates: striking with the palm of the hand or the heel, or the contact of female organ against female organ.

If a bhikkhunī mutually stimulates another: the one who does the stimulating commits a duṣkṛta; the one who receives the stimulation commits a pācittiya. If two female organs are mutually engaged, both commit a pācittiya.

A bhikkhu, duṣkṛta; a śikṣamāṇā, śrāmaṇera, śrāmaṇerikā, duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: If one is afflicted with some illness, or if contact occurs in the course of going back and forth, walking, or standing, or if contact is made while sweeping the ground without deliberate intent, or if contact occurs while bathing—there is no offense.

Those who do not offend: one who commits the act for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is mentally deranged; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is overcome by extreme pain.

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 1–2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002