Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 4Lying Down With a Woman

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

4. SLEEPING IN THE SAME ROOM AS A WOMAN

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, the Venerable Aniruddha was traveling from the country of Śrāvastī to the country of Kośala. Along the way, he arrived at a village where there was no lodging for bhikkhus. He inquired, "Is there anyone who can give me a place to stay?" He was told that there was a house belonging to a courtesan who regularly offered travelers lodging for the night. The Venerable Aniruddha then went to the courtesan's house and asked:

"Elder Sister, I would like to request lodging for one night. Would that be permitted?"

The courtesan said:

"Certainly! The house is spacious. Venerable One, please rest at your ease."

The Venerable Aniruddha entered the house, spread out a grass sitting mat, sat down with legs crossed, and with one-pointed mind engaged in contemplation, fixing his mindfulness before him.

That same day, some householders from the country of Kośala who had business to attend to also arrived at that village seeking a place to spend the night. They too were told that the courtesan's house regularly received travelers for lodging. The householders went to that house and asked:

"We need to stay for one night. Could you accommodate us?"

The courtesan replied:

"I have already promised a recluse lodging here. Ask the recluse; if he agrees to share the space, you may stay."

The householders went to the Venerable Aniruddha and said:

"We have obtained the owner's consent to stay here for one night. Shall we stay together, with no difficulty?"

The Venerable Aniruddha replied:

"I have already spread out my grass mat. The house is still spacious. Please rest as you wish — have no misgivings."

The householders then entered the house. But because there were many in the party, it became very crowded. Seeing this, the courtesan felt compassion, and she thought to herself: "This Aniruddha is of noble birth and has long been accustomed to comfort; he cannot easily bear hardship. Now he is crowded together with all these householders." With this thought, she went to Aniruddha and said: "Venerable One, you have long been accustomed to comfort and cannot easily endure hardship. Now you are crowded together with all these householders. Would the Venerable One be willing to rest in my room?" The Venerable One agreed.

The Venerable Aniruddha then entered the room, and there, in that same place, sat down with legs crossed, fixing his mindfulness before him. Throughout the night, lamps burned in the courtesan's house without being extinguished.

In the early part of the night, the courtesan came to the Venerable Aniruddha and said:

"Recently, some wealthy brahmin householders came to me and said, 'Will you be my wife?' I said to those householders, 'You are far too unattractive. I cannot be your wife. If a man were handsome, I would become his wife.' I see that the Venerable One has a fine and handsome appearance. Could the Venerable One become my husband?"

At that time, the Venerable Aniruddha, though he heard these words, remained silent, gave no reply, and did not look at her. Why was this? Because the Venerable One had already attained the supreme liberation of both aspects. Toward the end of the night, as dawn was about to break, she again said to Aniruddha:

"Brahmin householders of great wealth said to me: 'Be my wife.' I firmly refused to consent. But the Venerable One has such a dignified and upright appearance — could you become my husband?"

The Venerable Aniruddha again remained silent, gave no reply, and did not look at her. Why was this? Because the Venerable One had already attained the supreme liberation of both aspects.

At that moment, the courtesan then disrobed and approached him directly and seized the Venerable One. The Venerable One immediately used the power of supernormal ability and lifted himself up into the air. Seeing this, the courtesan was overcome with extreme shame at her own nakedness and crouched down; then hastily covered herself with her garment. Having done so, she joined her palms together, raised her face toward the sky, and addressed the Venerable Aniruddha:

"I confess my transgression! I confess my transgression!" She said this three times. She then implored the Venerable One to return to his seat.

The Venerable One descended and resumed his seat as before. The courtesan made obeisance at the Venerable One's feet, then withdrew and sat to one side. The Venerable One then taught her the sublime Dharma — the meaning of generosity, the meaning of keeping the precepts, and the meaning of rebirth in the heavens. He spoke of desire as impure, as base, as defiled, as a fetter. He praised the peace and bliss of renunciation and the benefit of liberation.

At that moment, the courtesan, from her seat, cut off all dust and defilement and attained the purity of the Dharma eye. When the courtesan had seen the Dharma and attained the Dharma, she made her supplication: "May the Venerable One graciously accept me as an upāsikā, taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. From this day forth, for the remainder of my life, I will not take life, and so forth up to not drinking intoxicants.

Today, may the Venerable One accept my invitation for a meal." The Venerable One consented in silence. The courtesan, knowing that the Venerable One had silently accepted her invitation, immediately prepared fine and nourishing food and drink as an offering. After the Venerable One had finished his meal, she brought a small seat and sat before the Venerable Aniruddha.

The Venerable One taught her the Dharma and, through many skillful means of encouragement, caused her heart to give rise to joy. When the teaching was concluded, the Venerable One rose from his seat and departed. Upon returning to the monastery, he recounted the entire series of events to the bhikkhus.

At that time, among the assembly there were bhikkhus who were of few desires, content, and who practiced the ascetic disciplines, were devoted to learning the precepts, knew shame, and who reproached Aniruddha, saying:

"Aniruddha, how could you sleep in the same room as a woman?"

The bhikkhus went to the place of the Blessed One, made obeisance at the Buddha's feet, and sat to one side. They then reported the entire matter to the Blessed One. The Blessed One thereupon used this occasion to convene the assembly of bhikkhus. Though he already knew, he nonetheless asked Aniruddha:

"Is it true that you slept alone in the same room as a woman?"

Aniruddha replied:

"It is true, Blessed One."

The Blessed One rebuked Aniruddha with a great many skillful means, saying:

"What you have done is wrong — it is not proper conduct, not the practice of a recluse, not pure conduct, not conforming behavior, and is something that should not be done. Aniruddha, how could you sleep in the same room as a woman?"

At that time, having rebuked Aniruddha with a great many skillful means, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:

"This is a foolish person; he is one who plants many seeds of defilement; he is the first to violate this precept. From this day forward, I shall establish a precept for the bhikkhus, for ten reasons, and so on up to the reason that the true Dharma may long endure."

To proclaim the precept, it should be stated as follows:

Whichever bhikkhu sleeps in the same room as a woman — pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: as defined above.

Woman: a female person who is possessed of understanding and whose life faculty has not been cut off.

Room: a space enclosed on all sides by walls and partitions with a roof above; or one that is open at the front without a wall; or one that has walls but no covering above; or one that has a covering but not extending completely; or one that has a complete covering but with open gaps. This is called a room.

Whether the bhikkhu sleeps first and the woman arrives afterward; or the woman arrives first and the bhikkhu arrives afterward; or both arrive at the same time — if one reclines on one's side so that the hip touches the mat, this constitutes a pācittiya. Each time one turns over is another pācittiya.

If one sleeps in the same room as a deva woman, an asura woman, a nāga woman, a yakṣa woman, or a hungry ghost woman — duṣkṛta. In the case of female animals, whether capable of transformation or incapable of transformation, sleeping in the same room — duṣkṛta. If one sleeps in the same room as a paṇḍaka or a hermaphrodite — duṣkṛta. During the daytime, if a woman is standing and the bhikkhu is lying down — duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhunī — pācittiya; for a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī — duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: If the bhikkhu does not know that there is a woman in that room and sleeps there; or if the bhikkhu arrives first and the woman arrives afterward and the bhikkhu does not know; or if the room has a roof but no surrounding partition, or has a complete roof but partitioning only halfway, or has a complete roof but only a little partitioning, or has complete partitioning but no roof, or has complete partitioning but only a little roof, or has half a roof and half a partition, or has a little roofing and a little partitioning, or has neither roofing nor partitioning — in open ground there is no offense.

Within such a structure, whether walking or sitting, there is likewise no offense; or if one's head is overcome with dizziness and one falls to the ground, or if one is ill and lies down — no offense; or if one is taken by force, or is bound by another, or if there is danger to one's life, or danger to one's pure conduct — likewise no offense.

Those without offense: one who commits the act for the first time before the precept was established; one who is insane, mentally disturbed, or in extreme agony and distress.

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

Translated into Chinese by 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 Studies Editorial Board, 2002