Lzh Sarv Bu Pm 2 Pj 1Sexual Intercourse

THE DISCOURSE ON SEXUAL CONDUCT (METHUNADHAMMA)

Background

This discourse is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the basic code that bhikkhus must observe. According to the Theravāda tradition, these rules were taught directly by the Buddha Gotama in order to protect and develop the clear discipline of the Sangha.

The Methunadhamma Sutta belongs to the Pārājika section, the rules whose violation is "pārājika," meaning defeat; if a bhikkhu performs this act, he is expelled from the Sangha. The content of this discourse was established when the Buddha discovered that a bhikkhu had sexual desire and had relations with a woman, thereby violating the purity (brahmacariya) of the Teacher's path.

The historical context shows that even in the Buddha's time, sensual desire was a major challenge for those who had gone forth. The rule concerning this issue was established not in order to punish, but to protect the purity of the humble virtue that a bhikkhu must maintain.

Main Content

This discourse states that if any bhikkhu engages in sexual intercourse (methunadhamma) with anyone, whether a woman, a man, or even an animal, that act is considered pārājika, an offense requiring disrobing. This means that the bhikkhu cannot continue to remain in the Sangha.

This rule includes sexual acts in the form of erotic activities or acts involving stimulation of the sexual organs. There is no exception, whether it is the first time or whether the intercourse occurs under any circumstance.

The deeper reason behind this rule arises from the spirit of the Buddha's path: a bhikkhu has abandoned household life, abandoned sensual desires, in order to pursue the path of liberation. Sexual craving is one of the deepest roots of suffering and continued becoming. Therefore, if a renunciant cannot control this desire, his renunciation no longer has meaning.