Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 128Getting Novices to Massage
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sāmaṇerī-ummaddāpana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
SCRIPTURE ON REQUESTING A NOVICE NUN TO MASSAGE
Background
This rule belongs to the Pātimokkhasaṃvara (Fundamental Vinaya Rules) within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically the Pācittiya section (minor offenses requiring confession). The scripture was recorded from situations that arose at the city of Sāvatthi during the time of the Buddha Gotama, when certain bhikkhus had made requests incompatible with the purity befitting the life of those who propagate the Dharma.
In the social context of ancient India, massage (ummaddana) was a common form of service, typically performed by those of lower status. However, within the monastic community, such actions were required to conform to particular principles in order to safeguard discipline and respect for the rules of the Sangha.
Main Content
In this Pācittiya rule, the Buddha ordained that a bhikkhu must not request a sāmaṇerī (a female novice of the initial stage of renunciation) to perform massage or any personal service of a similarly intimate nature.
The reason for this prohibition is not that the act of massage is in itself unwholesome, but rather that it is liable to give rise to sensitive situations between male and female monastics. This violates the fundamental principle of brahmacariya (pure conduct) — the very foundation of the religious life within the Buddhist Sangha.
The penalty for transgressing this rule is pācittiya — a minor offense requiring a confession and expression of remorse before another bhikkhu. This reflects the fact that the transgression is not as grave as other offenses (saṃghādisesa or pārājika), yet it must nonetheless be rectified without delay.
This rule also protects sāmaṇerīs from situations that could bring dishonor upon them or give rise to misunderstandings within the local community.
Practical Significance
The rule of Sāmaṇerī-ummaddāpana embodies the Buddha's profound respect for both lay practitioners and those who have gone forth into the monastic life.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.