Ka Bu Pm Pc 5Teaching Someone of the Opposite Gender Alone
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dhammadesanā
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Explanation of the Sutta on Teaching the Dharma to Someone of the Opposite Gender
Background
In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is the canonical collection that establishes discipline and ethics for the monastic community. This sutta belongs to the Pātimokkha, especially the rules related to relations between monks and nuns. The background for the arising of this sutta is connected with Buddha Gotama’s establishment of monastic rules to protect the spirit of practice and preserve the honor of the Sangha Jewel.
In the history of early Buddhism, the Buddha allowed bhikkhunīs, women who had gone forth, to be present in the monastic community, yet he also set forth necessary principles to avoid situations that could cause misunderstanding or loss of decorum. The sutta on teaching the Dharma alone to someone of the opposite gender is one of the important regulations intended to protect both monks and nuns from unnecessary suspicion.
Main Content
According to the spirit of the Pātimokkha rules, this sutta warns that a bhikkhu, a male monastic, should not teach the Dharma privately and alone to a female renunciant, except in special permitted cases. Similarly, a female renunciant should not privately receive instruction from a male bhikkhu in a closed space without a witness.
This rule was not established because the Buddha doubted the morality of those who had gone forth, but rather to protect the honor of the Sangha Jewel and avoid unnecessary rumors from human society. This reflects a profound principle in Buddhism: Sammohadhammo, not denying what ordinary society regards as inappropriate.
Permitted exceptions include occasions when a third person is present, or when a female renunciant requests instruction in urgent circumstances related to the Dharma. These rules were established in the spirit of protecting the purity of both genders.
Practical Meaning
This rule teaches us that Buddhist practice is not only an inner matter, but also concerns how we conduct ourselves in society.
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