Upp Pc 44Intruding on a Couple Enjoying Themselves
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sabhojana
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Explanation of the Sabhojana Sutta (Upp Pc 44)
Background
The Sabhojana Sutta (Pāli: सभोजन) is a regulation in the Pātimokkha, the basic code for bhikkhus, within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Pāli Canon. This text appears in the Pācittiya section, rules requiring confession when violated.
The background of this regulation records an incident at the Buddha’s vihāra. There was a bhikkhu who, while a husband and wife were enjoying one another’s company, improperly inserted himself between them. This action was discourteous and disrupted the privacy and discretion that householders deserve to have respected. Seeing this occur, the Buddha established a regulation to protect both the honor of lay communities and the diligent training of those gone forth.
This regulation reflects a core principle of the Buddha-Dharma: respect for privacy and non-interference in the personal relationships of others. This is an aspect often overlooked, but extremely important in the social ethics of the Buddhist community.
Main Content
The regulation concerning “intruding upon a husband and wife enjoying one another’s company” (Sabhojana) states that if a bhikkhu deliberately intrudes upon or interrupts a husband and wife who are together privately, with the intention of displeasing them or disturbing their enjoyment, he commits a Pācittiya offense.
A Pācittiya offense is not the gravest violation in the Pātimokkha, but it requires the bhikkhu to confess before another bhikkhu or before the Sangha. This shows that the regulation has the character of warning and training conduct, rather than imposing an overly harsh punishment.
The factors needed to constitute the offense include: the deliberate act of intruding, the privacy of the husband and wife, and the intention to interrupt. If a bhikkhu happens to pass by, or does not know that a husband and wife are there, or if the act is not meant to disturb them, then it may not constitute this offense. This shows that Buddhist law pays close attention to intention (cetanā) in each action.
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