Lzh Mg Bi Vb Pj 1Sexual Intercourse

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– THE PRECEPTS OF THE BHIKKHUNĪS

– CLARIFYING THE FIRST PART OF THE EIGHT PĀRĀJIKAS.

1. PRECEPT: SEXUAL INTERCOURSE.

The Blessed One, the Unsurpassed Perfectly Enlightened One, from the very beginning when he first aroused the intention to cultivate the path has now attained fulfillment, and is residing at the monastery of the Śākya clan, in the city of Kapilavastu, revered and venerated by gods and humans, as has already been explained above. At that time, Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī, together with five hundred young women of the Śākya clan — such as Chandadā, Chandapāla, Devachandā, the mother of Chanda, and others — came to where the Buddha was, bowed their heads, paid homage, and stood to one side.

Then Mahāprajāpatī addressed the Buddha: "Blessed One, it is rare for a Buddha to appear in the world, and it is also rare to hear the Dharma. Now we have encountered the Tathāgata appearing in the world, expounding the wonderful Dharma of ambrosia, enabling sentient beings to realize the fruit of the path and cessation." As has been fully explained in the Sūtra on Mahāprajāpatī's Going Forth. Then the Buddha declared: "From this day forward, the Bhikkhunī Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī is the Elder of the Bhikkhunī Saṃgha and shall be respected as such."

At that time, Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī addressed the Buddha: "Blessed One, the Blessed One has laid down four grave precepts for the bhikkhus. Are we permitted to hear them?"

The Buddha said: "Yes. Gautamī, if a faithful woman of good character wishes to obtain five benefits, she must fully uphold this code of precepts. Those five benefits are:

1. If a faithful woman of good character wishes to establish the Buddha-Dharma, she must fully uphold this code of precepts.

2. If she wishes the True Dharma to endure for a long time, she must fully uphold this code of precepts.

3. If she wishes to be free from doubt and the need to question others, she must fully uphold this code of precepts.

4. If she wishes to be a refuge for bhikkhunīs who are fearful on account of having committed offenses, she must fully uphold this code of precepts.

5. If she wishes to travel and teach in the four directions without obstruction, she must fully uphold this code of precepts.

These are called the five benefits obtained by a faithful woman of firm conviction when she upholds this code of precepts. Furthermore, as has been fully explained in the section on the five causes and conditions for the bhikkhus at the beginning above:

— If a bhikkhunī has not relinquished the precepts, her precepts are weak, she has not departed from the Bhikkhunī Saṃgha, and yet she engages in sexual intercourse — even with an animal — that bhikkhunī commits a pārājika offense and is no longer permitted to live together with the Bhikkhunī Saṃgha.

EXPLANATION:

Bhikkhunī: A woman who is fully twenty years of age and not less, who has received the full ordination (upasampadā) perfectly within both communities of the Saṃgha, in accordance with the Dharma and not contrary to it, in harmony and not in disharmony, with a single motion and three proclamations (ñatticatutthakamma), with no one objecting. This is called a bhikkhunī.

Has not relinquished the precepts, her precepts are weak, has not departed from the Bhikkhunī Saṃgha: As has been fully explained in the section on bhikkhus above.

Engages in: Partaking with a mind of desire.

Sexual intercourse: Non-celibacy. If a bhikkhunī engages in sexual intercourse with a man, a paṇḍaka, a non-human male, or a male animal — whether awake or asleep, or a corpse — at three places, namely the mouth, the urinary passage, or the anal passage, and in each case she experiences pleasure, then that bhikkhunī commits a pārājika offense and is no longer permitted to live together with the Bhikkhunī Saṃgha.

Pārājika: When one falls away from, degrades, and fails to attain the fruit of the path with respect to the knowledge of the Dharma (dharmajñāna), this is called pārājika. Likewise, when one falls away from, degrades, and fails to attain the fruit of the path with respect to the knowledge of exhaustion (kṣayajñāna) or the knowledge of non-arising (anutpādajñāna), this is called pārājika.

Pārājika further means: When one falls away from, degrades, and fails to attain the fruit of the path with respect to nirvāṇa, this is called pārājika.

Pārājika further means: When one falls away from and degrades the holy life (brahmacarya), this is called pārājika.

Pārājika further means: An offense of such a kind that when it is committed, it cannot be confessed and expiated. This is called pārājika.

If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind wishes to look at men, she commits a duṣkṛta offense of mental remorse (vītivatta-cetanā). If she looks at them with her eyes or listens to their voices with her ears, she commits a duṣkṛta offense.

If they face each other naked, she commits a sthūlātyaya offense; and if the two organs come into contact even by so much as a sesame seed, she commits a pārājika offense.

If a bhikkhunī does not declare that she relinquishes the precepts, does not declare that she does not relinquish the precepts, and on account of weak precepts acts as a laywoman, the offense is judged according to the degree of transgression. If she acts as a follower of another religion, the same applies. Whether this person is naked and the other clothed, or the other is naked and this person clothed, or both are clothed, or both are naked — whenever the two organs come into contact even by the amount of one sesame seed, a pārājika offense is committed in every case.

If a bhikkhunī has not relinquished the precepts, her precepts are weak, she has not departed from the Bhikkhunī Saṃgha, and then wearing lay clothing she commits a transgression, the offense is judged according to the degree of the transgression.

If a bhikkhunī sexually assaults a bhikkhu by force, the bhikkhunī commits a pārājika offense. If at that time the bhikkhu experiences pleasure, he too commits a pārājika offense.

If a bhikkhu and a bhikkhunī engage in sexual intercourse together, both commit a pārājika offense.

If a bhikkhunī engages in sexual intercourse with a novice (sāmaṇera), the bhikkhunī commits a pārājika offense, and the sāmaṇera must be expelled. If a bhikkhunī engages in sexual intercourse with a layperson, the same applies.

If a bhikkhunī engages in sexual intercourse with three kinds of beings — humans, non-humans, and animals — at three places, namely the mouth, the urinary passage, and the anal passage, in three conditions — while awake, asleep, or dead — a pārājika offense is committed in every case.

If a bhikkhunī is asleep, mentally deranged, or in meditative absorption, and someone comes and mounts her and engages in sexual intercourse, and the bhikkhunī is aware of it and experiences pleasure at the beginning, the middle, and the end, she commits a pārājika offense.

If a bhikkhunī is asleep, mentally deranged, or in meditative absorption, and someone comes and mounts her and engages in sexual intercourse, and the bhikkhunī is aware of it, but does not experience pleasure at the beginning yet experiences pleasure at the middle and the end, she also commits a pārājika offense.

If a bhikkhunī is asleep, mentally deranged, or in meditative absorption, and someone comes and mounts her and engages in sexual intercourse, and the bhikkhunī is aware of it, but does not experience pleasure at the beginning or the middle yet experiences pleasure at the end, she also commits a pārājika offense.

If a bhikkhunī is asleep, mentally deranged, or in meditative absorption, and someone comes and mounts her and engages in sexual intercourse, and the bhikkhunī is aware of it, but experiences no pleasure at the beginning, the middle, or the end, there is no offense.

What is meant by experiencing pleasure? What is meant by not experiencing pleasure?

Experiencing pleasure: Just as a person who is hungry and receives fine and delicious food takes pleasure in eating; or as a person who is thirsty and receives refreshing drink takes pleasure in drinking — one who experiences sensual pleasure is likewise.

Not experiencing pleasure: Just as a person who loves cleanliness is made to hang a corpse around their neck, or is made to press a hot iron bar against a burst abscess — not experiencing pleasure is likewise.

If a bhikkhunī engages in sexual intercourse obtained by purchase, by hire, by favor, by acquaintance, by playful jest, by experiment, or by curiosity, she commits a pārājika offense in every case. However, if it occurs due to mental derangement or ignorance, there is no offense. Therefore it is said:

— If a bhikkhunī has not relinquished the precepts, her precepts are weak, she has not departed from the Bhikkhunī Saṃgha, and yet she engages in sexual intercourse — even with an animal — that bhikkhunī commits a pārājika offense and is no longer permitted to live together with the Bhikkhunī Saṃgha.

Furthermore, the second, third, and fourth precepts are the same as those explained in the precepts of the bhikkhus.

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: THE TRIPIṬAKA MASTER BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH THE ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

DOCTRINAL VERIFICATION: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH