Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 143Serving Householders
Pāli / Sanskrit:Gihiveyyāvacca
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The Discourse on Serving Worldly People — Gihiveyyāvacca
Background
The rule concerning "serving worldly people" (Gihiveyyāvacca) appears in the Vibhaṅga section of the Vinaya Piṭaka, under the category of Pātimokkha offenses. This discourse reflects the earliest context of the Sangha, when Bhikkhunīs still lived in close proximity to lay society. At that time, interaction between women monastics and householders (ghī) was inevitable, but it also involved risks to the appearance and character of practice.
For this reason, the Buddha established clear guidelines to protect the purity of virtue and the reputation of the women’s Sangha. The Gihiveyyāvacca discourse is considered part of these regulations, especially concerning the fact that bhikkhunīs should not become involved in domestic service or household duties that are too deeply worldly in nature.
Main Content
According to the Theravāda tradition, this discourse provides that Bhikkhunīs must not serve worldly people in a way that could shake the faith of the community or negatively affect their own meditative conduct. Specifically, service (veyyāvacca) should not include tasks requiring excessive intimacy, or tasks different in character from the holy life (brahmacariya).
This discourse emphasizes an important distinction: there are forms of service that are appropriate, such as helping the sick or carrying out charitable work in accordance with the rules, but there are also forms that are inappropriate because they impair the appearance of discipline or give rise to suspicion. The Buddha taught that the women’s Sangha must not only preserve the conduct of the rules, but also preserve its "good repute" (vaṇṇa), because the reputation of women monastics affects everyone’s confidence in the Buddha-Dharma.
The basic points prescribed include: one should not be employed as a household servant; one should not perform tasks that require wearing clothes or garments like laypeople; one should not take part in household activities of an overly private nature.
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