Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pj 1Sexual Intercourse
Pāli / Sanskrit:Methunadhamma
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Discourse on Sexual Intercourse (Methunadhamma)
Background
The Methunadhamma text appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Pārājika section, the rules entailing exclusion from the Sangha, and belongs to the most profound ethical regulations in the discipline of Theravada Buddhism. This text is not a doctrinal sermon, but part of a legal system built to protect the integrity of the community of monks and nuns.
The background of Methunadhamma is connected with events in the community of monks, when some bhikkhus neglected the discipline. The Buddha laid down clear regulations concerning sexuality in order to maintain the purity of moral conduct. This is an important part of the Vinaya, reflecting the profound understanding in the Buddha-Dharma of the nature of the human mind and the obstacles on the path of practice.
Main Content
Methunadhamma, from “methuna” (sexuality, sexual intercourse) and “dhamma” (principle, rule), clearly establishes that sexual intercourse is regarded as a Pārājika offense, an offense of exclusion from the Sangha, for monks and nuns. This includes not only completed sexual intercourse, but also any act within the sphere related to sexuality, including words, intentions, or intermediate actions.
This text is taught in the detailed manner of the Vinaya, with concrete illustrations and various situations to clarify the rule. Violation of Methunadhamma is regarded as one of the gravest offenses, together with killing, theft, and lying about superhuman abilities. One who violates it is expelled from the Sangha and cannot regain that status.
This rule is aimed not only at physical action, but also at cultivating the mind. It encourages monks to see the issue from its root: sensual craving and unwholesome imagination, so that they may transform these tendencies into a pure and concentrated mind.
Practical Meaning
For those practicing in the Theravada tradition, Methunadhamma is not merely a dry legal rule.
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