Lzh Mu Bu Vb Pc 27Travelling on a Boat With a Nun
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nāvābhiruhana
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Nāvābhiruhana Sutta: Boarding a Boat with a Bhikkhunī
Background
The Nāvābhiruhana Sutta (nāvā = boat; abhiruhana = boarding, stepping onto) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Pātimokkha Saṁvara, the training rules for bhikkhunīs. In the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is the foundation for the character and discipline of the community of monks and nuns. This sutta was recorded when the Buddha and his disciples traveled through regions with rivers and waterways, where boats were needed for crossing.
The special background of the sutta is the matter of interaction between bhikkhus, male monastics, and bhikkhunīs, especially in ordinary situations such as boarding a boat. This is not a trivial matter, because in the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka the relationship between male and female monastics is managed very strictly in order to protect the practice of discipline and mental concentration (samādhi).
Main Content
According to the related rules, the sutta regulates conduct when bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs board a boat together. Specifically, the Vinaya Piṭaka forbids a bhikkhu from boarding a boat alone with a bhikkhunī, except in special cases, such as when a third person, of another gender or the same gender depending on the regulation, is present. This is intended to avoid circumstances that cause misunderstanding or may lead to breaches of the discipline.
This principle reflects the philosophy of “prevention” in the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka. It is not because the practice of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs is doubted, but because Theravāda Buddhism values the protection of the honor of the Sangha Jewel and the avoidance of suspicion or criticism toward the community. A bhikkhu or bhikkhunī must not only genuinely practice, but also avoid things that appear improper.
This sutta also reflects respect among those who keep the precepts. Each group, bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, sāmaṇeras, and sāmaṇerīs, has its own rules and needs to maintain appropriate boundaries of interaction.
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