Lzh Sarv Bu Vb Pc 25Travelling on a Boat With a Nun

SUTTA ON BOARDING A BOAT WITH A NUN

Nāvābhiruhana Sutta

Background

During the time of the Buddha’s activity, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs both observed ethical rules in order to maintain purity and respectability in the community. The Vinaya Piṭaka records detailed guidance intended to protect the honor of the Sangha and of practitioners. The Nāvābhiruhana Sutta is a regulation in the Pātimokkha, the basic code, specifically within the Pācittiya category, where lighter offenses are recorded, though they still require confession and repentance.

The appearance of this rule reflects the practical context in which bhikkhus needed to travel across rivers or seas. During such journeys, male and female monastics being together in an enclosed space such as a boat could create social misunderstandings or cause loss of focus in practice. The Buddha and the earliest elders established principles to avoid such situations, so as to preserve the purity of the holy life and the reputation of the Sangha.

Main Content

The regulation in the Nāvābhiruhana Sutta prescribes that a bhikkhu should not board a boat together with a bhikkhunī if no third person is present, usually a trustworthy layperson or another bhikkhu. If a bhikkhu boards a boat alone with a female monastic, this is a pācittiya, an offense requiring confession before the community of bhikkhus and the performance of repentance.

This rule is not because Buddhism is suspicious of the nature of monastics. Rather, it acknowledges the reality that situations can give rise to misunderstanding or provide opportunities for the mind to go astray. Reasonable separation is regarded as part of integrity, avoiding circumstances that may obstruct diligent practice. A boat, with its narrow space and isolation from the public, is considered a special case to be avoided.

This rule also applies to other similar situations, such as staying together in isolated places.