Upp Pc 27Travelling on a Boat With a Nun

Nāvābhiruhana Sutta: Traveling on a Boat with a Female Monastic

Background

The Nāvābhiruhana Sutta (Upp Pc 27) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha Rules of the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha. This is a detailed disciplinary rule concerning the conduct of bhikkhus, male monastics, when in contact with bhikkhunīs, female monastics, in the context of daily travel.

The text was recorded on the basis of a specific situation that occurred in the Buddha’s time. A bhikkhu needed to travel by boat together with a bhikkhunī, creating an issue of safety and respect for the principles of diligent monastic life. These were not ordinary trivialities, but rules developed to protect the practice of both assemblies, bhikkhunī and bhikkhu, while also building the confidence of the Buddhist community in the Sangha of monks and nuns.

The historical context shows that in the Buddha’s time monastics often had to travel between regions to preach the Dharma and practice, so situations such as traveling together by boat were unavoidable. Yet, in order to maintain the highest ethical standard, the Buddha established specific guidelines to ensure discretion and respect.

Main Content

The Nāvābhiruhana rule states that a bhikkhu should not sit alone in a boat together with a bhikkhunī without witnesses, or without careful arrangement of seating and conduct. If this is necessary, other people must be present, or space must be arranged so that the two assemblies do not sit beside one another unnecessarily.

The essential point of the text is the principle of precaution (caraṇa sampanna). It is not because the two assemblies cannot trust one another, but because the Buddha understood that: (1) close physical contact is unsuitable for the monastic principle of celibacy; (2) appearances may lead to rumors in the community, harming the honor of both and of the Sangha of monks and nuns; (3) prevention is better than remedy.