Lzh Mu Bu Pm Pc 29Sitting in Private

Rahonisajja Text: On Sitting in Private

Background

Rahonisajja (sitting in private) is a prohibition in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, recorded in the Pātimokkha, the basic code of discipline. This text reflects early Buddhism’s deep concern for the purity of the Sangha body, especially relationships among monks or between monks and laypeople.

The historical background of this prohibition arose from specific incidents in the early Sangha community, where acts of sitting privately in a closed environment could lead to misunderstandings, suspicion, or even conduct that violated discipline. The Blessed Buddha, with boundless wisdom, established this rule to protect the purity of the practitioner as well as the honor of the Sangha body in the eyes of the public.

This prohibition is classified among the Saṅghādisesa rules, offenses that must be declared before the Sangha body, showing a certain seriousness while still being capable of correction through formal procedures of absolution.

Main Content

The Rahonisajja text stipulates that monks should not sit privately (rahonisajja) together with a woman, especially in secluded, dark places or places without witnesses. This includes situations such as sitting in a closed room, behind curtains, or in places where others cannot easily observe.

The reason given in the Pāli texts is the protection of the honor of the Sangha body. Even though monks keep celibacy (brahmacarya) absolutely, sitting privately with a woman can give rise to unnecessary suspicion, create an opportunity for careless talk, and ultimately diminish laypeople’s trust in the Sangha body. The Buddha-Dharma is built on a foundation of pure ethics; outward conduct must also be clear and not suggest any suspicion.

This rule is not because Buddhism lacks trust, but because of a deep understanding of the nature of the human mind and of environmental conditions that can create lapses or suspicion.