Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pj 5Above the Knees

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀRĀJIKA

5. BODILY CONTACT

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the city of Śrāvastī. At that time, there was a great and eminent householder named Mahāśubhadatta, handsome and dignified in appearance. The bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā was likewise beautiful in appearance. The householder Śubhadatta had his eye on Sthūlanandā, and Sthūlanandā had her eye on the householder Śubhadatta.

After some time, the householder, on account of Sthūlanandā, invited the bhikkhunīs and Sthūlanandā to his home for a meal. That evening he prepared abundant food; early the next morning he went to announce the hour. Sthūlanandā, knowing that the householder had invited the Saṅgha on her account, remained at the monastery and did not go.

When the time came, the bhikkhunīs donned their robes, took up their bowls, and went to the householder's home. Upon arriving, they took their seats. The householder then looked over all the bhikkhunīs and, not seeing Sthūlanandā, asked:

"Where is Sthūlanandā? I do not see her here."

The bhikkhunīs replied:

"She remained at the monastery and did not come."

The householder quickly served out the food, then went at once to the monastery where Sthūlanandā was staying. Sthūlanandā, seeing the householder approaching from a distance, lay down upon her bed.

The householder asked:

"What illness or discomfort afflicts you, Elder Sister?"

Sthūlanandā replied:

"I have no illness or discomfort whatsoever. It is only that there is something I desire and you do not."

The householder said:

"I do desire it; it is not that I do not."

Thereupon the householder embraced her from the front, laid her down, and proceeded to fondle, grope, and kiss her. When he had finished, the householder sat back and asked:

"Elder Sister, what do you need?"

Sthūlanandā said:

"I want some sour jujubes."

The householder said:

"If you want that, I will bring it tomorrow morning."

At that time, a young novice nun who was keeping watch over the room witnessed this entire incident. When the bhikkhunīs returned from the meal, she recounted everything in full.

Hearing this, those bhikkhunīs among them who were of few desires and contentment, who practiced the dhūta qualities, who were fond of training in the precepts, who knew shame and modesty, reproached the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā: "How could you do such a thing with the householder?"

The bhikkhunīs reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha thereupon, on account of this cause and condition, assembled the community of bhikkhus and with numerous skillful means reproached the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā:

"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 doing what should not be done. Sthūlanandā, how could you do such a thing with the householder?"

After the Blessed One had reproached her with numerous skillful means, he said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā is a field that grows many seeds of defilement, and she is the first to transgress this precept. From this day forward, I shall establish this rule for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

The precept is to be stated as follows:

Should any bhikkhunī, with a defiled mind, make bodily contact with a man who has a defiled mind — from below the armpit to above the knee — whether by grasping, caressing, pulling, pushing, stroking upward, stroking downward, lifting up, setting down, kneading, or squeezing — that bhikkhunī is one who has committed pārājika and is no longer permitted to live in community, on account of such bodily contact.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: as defined above.

Defiled mind: a mind of mutual passionate attachment.

A man with a defiled mind: likewise.

From below the armpit: the part of the body below the armpit.

From above the knee: the part of the body above the knee.

Body: from the toenails to the hair on the head.

Bodily contact between them: the two bodies grasping and caressing each other, or pulling, pushing, stroking against the grain, stroking with the grain, lifting up, setting down, squeezing, or kneading.

— Grasping and caressing: using the hand to caress the front or back of the body.

— Pulling: drawing toward the front.

— Pushing: thrusting away to the rear.

— Stroking against the grain: touching from below upward.

— Stroking with the grain: touching from above downward.

— Lifting: taking up in one's arms.

— Setting down: lowering with the arms, whether the other is made to sit or stand.

— Grasping: grasping at the front, at the back, at the thighs, at the chest.

— Kneading and squeezing: kneading at the front, at the back, at the thighs, at the chest.

A male, perceived as a male: the male touches the body of the bhikkhunī with his hand; the two bodies make contact; with a mind of lustful attachment, she receives pleasure from the contact — the bhikkhunī commits pārājika. A male, perceived as a male: the male rubs the body of the bhikkhunī; she moves her body with a mind of lustful attachment and receives pleasure from the contact — pārājika. So likewise with kneading and squeezing.

If it is a male and she is uncertain, she commits sthūlātyaya. Or if it is a male and she conceives it as a male: the bhikkhunī's body makes contact with the man's robe or ornamental garlands; with a mind of lustful attachment she receives pleasure from the contact — sthūlātyaya.

Or if it is a male and she conceives it as a male: the bhikkhunī's body makes contact with the man's robe or ornamental garlands; with a mind of lustful attachment, without receiving pleasure from the contact — at the moment of contact, sthūlātyaya.

Or if it is a male and she conceives it as a male: the male, wearing ornamental garlands and robes upon his body, makes contact with the bhikkhunī's body. The bhikkhunī, with a mind of lustful attachment, receives pleasure from the contact — sthūlātyaya.

Or if it is a male and she conceives it as a male: the male, wearing ornamental garlands and robes upon his body, makes contact with the bhikkhunī's body. The bhikkhunī has a mind of lustful attachment but does not receive pleasure from the contact — sthūlātyaya.

A male, perceived as a male: the bhikkhunī's body makes contact with the male's ornamental garlands and robes; with a mind of lustful attachment, she moves her body but does not receive pleasure from the contact — sthūlātyaya.

Or if it is a male and she conceives it as a male: the bhikkhunī's body makes contact with the male's ornamental garlands and robes; with a mind of lustful attachment, she does not move her body but receives pleasure from the contact — sthūlātyaya.

Or if it is a male and she conceives it as a male: the male, wearing ornamental garlands and robes upon his body, makes contact with the bhikkhunī's body. The bhikkhunī has a mind of lustful attachment, moves her body, but does not receive pleasure from the contact — sthūlātyaya.

A male, perceived as a male: the male, wearing ornamental garlands and robes upon his body, makes contact with the bhikkhunī's body. The bhikkhunī has a mind of lustful attachment, receives pleasure from the contact, but does not move her body — sthūlātyaya.

Or if it is a male and she conceives it as a male, and the two bodies make contact: the bhikkhunī has a mind of lustful attachment, does not receive pleasure from the contact, but moves her body — sthūlātyaya.

A male, perceived as a male, and the two bodies make contact: the bhikkhunī has a mind of lustful attachment, receives pleasure from the contact, but does not move her body — sthūlātyaya.

Likewise, from caressing to groping and grasping — all are sthūlātyaya.

If she is uncertain whether it is a male, duṣkṛta.

A male, perceived as a male: the bhikkhunī, through the robe upon her body, makes contact with the robe and ornamental garlands on the body of the male. The bhikkhunī, with a mind of lustful attachment, receives pleasure from the contact — duṣkṛta.

A male, perceived as a male: the bhikkhunī, through the robe upon her body, makes contact with the robe and ornamental garlands of the male; with a mind of lustful attachment, she does not receive pleasure from the contact — duṣkṛta.

A male, perceived as a male: the bhikkhunī, through the robe upon her body, makes contact with the robe and ornamental garlands on the body of the male; with a mind of lustful attachment, she does not receive pleasure from the contact but moves her body — duṣkṛta.

A male, perceived as a male: the bhikkhunī, through the robe upon her body, makes contact with the robe and ornamental garlands on the body of the male; with a mind of lustful attachment, she receives pleasure from the contact but does not move her body — duṣkṛta.

A male, perceived as a male: the bhikkhunī, through the robe upon her body, makes contact with the robe and ornamental garlands on the body of the male; with a mind of lustful attachment, she does not receive pleasure from the contact and does not move her body — duṣkṛta.

A male, perceived as a male: the bhikkhunī, through the robe upon her body, makes contact with the robe and ornamental garlands on the body of the male; with a mind of lustful attachment, she receives pleasure from the contact and moves her body — duṣkṛta.

Likewise, up to and including grasping and pushing — all are duṣkṛta.

If it is indeed a male and she is uncertain, duṣkṛta.

When a bhikkhunī and a male make bodily contact with each other, each instance of contact constitutes one pārājika offence. According as the contact is more or less, all instances are pārājika.

If it is a male of the divine realm, a male of the asuras, or down to a male animal capable of transformation — and the two bodies make contact — in all such cases sthūlātyaya is committed.

With an animal incapable of transformation, if the two bodies make contact, duṣkṛta.

If it is with a woman and the two bodies make contact, duṣkṛta.

If it is with a paṇḍaka and the two bodies make contact, sthūlātyaya.

If a male or female pays respects and grasps the foot: if the bhikkhunī experiences pleasure from the contact but does not move her body, duṣkṛta.

If a bhikkhunī with a lustful mind touches robes, bowl, sitting cloth, needle case, footwear, or even touches her own body, all such acts are dukkhaṭa.

A human male perceived as a human male: pārājika. Doubt about whether it is a human male: thullaccaya. A human male perceived as a non-human male: thullaccaya. A non-human male perceived as a human male: thullaccaya. Doubt about a non-human male: thullaccaya.

A bhikkhu: saṅghādisesa. A sikkhamānā, a sāmaṇera, a sāmaṇerī: dukkhaṭa. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: If in the course of passing or receiving something there is bodily contact; or if contact occurs during play; or if contact occurs in the course of rescuing someone — in all such cases, if there is no lustful mind, there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who offends for the first time before the rule has been established; one who is insane, of disturbed mind, or afflicted with acute 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 by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation volumes 1–21, Vietnamese translation volumes 1, 2)

Buddhist Publication Committee 2002