Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 41Lying Down With a Woman

Mātugāmasahaseyya Sutta (Lying Down With a Woman)

Background

The Mātugāmasahaseyya Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically within the Pātimokkha, the basic code that bhikkhus must observe. This is one of the prohibitions (Pācittiya) laid down by the Buddha to protect the purity of the Sangha and maintain the vow of celibacy of bhikkhus.

According to the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of administrative rules, but an expression of profound teaching on mind and action. Every prohibition arose from specific events: when bhikkhus committed offenses, the Buddha then laid down a rule to govern and unify the community of practitioners.

Main Content

The forty-first Pācittiya rule concerning lying down with a woman states: if a bhikkhu lies on the same bed or in the same sleeping place with a woman, without a valid reason such as illness, he violates a pācittiya rule. This is a lesser offense, but it must be confessed before the bhikkhus.

Pācittiya is a category of offense lighter than Pārājika, the offenses that lead to exclusion from the Sangha, or Saṅghādisesa, but it still requires public confession. The purpose of this rule is to protect bhikkhus from situations that may lead to more serious violations, especially those connected with sexuality (kāma).

The sutta does not condemn or discriminate against women, but seeks to preserve the spirit of celibacy (brahmacariya) of the bhikkhu. In Theravāda Buddhism, the practice of chastity is a foundation of cultivation, helping the mind not to be scattered by sensual desires and conditions.

Practical Meaning

To understand this more clearly, we need to grasp the context of early Buddhism: the Vinaya is not a set of cold punishments, but mindful guidance. Avoiding dangerous situations (sanna-asevana, not lingering around places that arouse sensual desire) is a way of practicing the “precious understanding” encouraged by the Buddha.