Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 50Lying Down With a Woman
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mātugāmasahaseyya
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The Rule on Lying Down With a Woman (Mātugāmasahaseyya Pācittiya)
Background
This rule belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Pācittiya section, the offenses requiring confession. It was recorded in the historical context when the Blessed Buddha was still in the world, when monks needed clear guidance regarding their attitude toward women in order to protect concentration and moral conduct.
According to the Pāli tradition, the Vinaya rules are not arbitrary prohibitions, but practical instructions enabling bhikkhus to maintain purity of mind and avoid circumstances likely to lead to violations of the three forms of action: body, speech, and mind. The Mātugāmasahaseyya rule was established to help bhikkhus preserve the complete code of discipline, the Bhikkhupātimokkha, one of the pillars of the Sangha.
Main Content
The rule states that a bhikkhu may not lie down in the same room or under the same roof with a woman, unless a witness is present or there are special and legitimate circumstances, such as illness requiring care. If a bhikkhu deliberately lies alone with a woman, this is regarded as a Pācittiya offense, a fault requiring confession and acknowledgment before the Sangha.
The specific content of this rule has not been fully translated in the supplied descriptive information; however, according to the general principle of Pācittiya in early Buddha-Dharma, this offense is considered lighter than Pārājika, offenses leading to expulsion, but still requires confession, repentance, and remedial action. One who commits this offense must confess to another bhikkhu and be reconciled with the monastic community.
The reason behind this rule lies deeply in the Buddhist understanding of the mind. The Venerable One did not absolutely forbid practitioners from contact with women, but prohibited circumstances and actions likely to stir sensual desire and disturb concentration. Lying in an enclosed space with a woman is regarded as a condition allowing speculation, craving, and wrongful conduct to arise.
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