Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 175Intentionally Produce Semen Except in a Dream
Pāli / Sanskrit:Intentionally produce semen except in a dream
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Explanation of the Scripture: Intentionally Emitting Semen Outside a Dream
Background
This content lies in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Suttavibhaṅga section of the Pātimokkha, the basic code for bhikkhus. These are ethical regulations established by the Buddha to protect the life of the Sangha and develop the spiritual life of practitioners.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of dry prohibitions, but practical guidance that helps monastics control coarse actions and cultivate a peaceful mind. The regulation concerning the physiological matter of semen relates to the purity of body and mind, two essential factors in the conduct of one who has gone forth. According to the Theravāda tradition, maintaining the discipline is not self-punishment, but true freedom: freedom from being governed by desires.
Main Content
The scripture stipulates that a bhikkhu may not intentionally emit semen, except in the case of a dream, which cannot be controlled. This is one of the Pācittiya rules, lesser offenses that nevertheless require confession or penance.
The important point in this regulation is the distinction between “intentional” (cetanā, deliberate will) and “unintentional,” a situation beyond control. The intentional act of emitting semen shows a loosening of bodily restraint and allows the mind to be governed by desire. Conversely, what happens in a dream is not the product of conscious will and therefore does not constitute an ethical fault (aparādha).
This regulation reflects a profound principle in the Buddha Dharma: ethics (sīla) is determined by intention. An action becomes a violation only when it arises from deliberate will. This shows that the Buddha Dharma is not a system focused on external actions alone, but on the actual mind of the person acting.
Practical Meaning
The scripture teaches that a bhikkhu needs to develop deep self-mastery regarding the body. Purity of body (kāya-parisuddhi) does not mean condemning the body or its physiological mechanisms, but managing action consciously.
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