Upp Ss 1Masturbation

Explanation of Sukkavisaṭṭhi (The Sutta on Self-Gratifying Conduct)

Background

Sukkavisaṭṭhi is a provision in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically within the Pātimokkha, the list of rules that bhikkhus must observe. This sutta is found in the Upakkilesasutta, or the provisions concerning offenses related to sexual desire.

The historical foundation of this provision arose from specific events within the community of monks and nuns. When the Buddha established the Sangha, the community of renunciants, he needed to build an ethical system to protect purity of mind and concentration in practice. The rules were not issued according to a theoretical plan, but arose from specific cases when bhikkhus violated basic principles of the Buddha’s Dharma.

The Sukkavisaṭṭhi provision especially emphasizes the importance of sense restraint, particularly the control of sexual desire, one of the roots of suffering according to Buddhist thought.

Main Content

Sukkavisaṭṭhi, provisionally translated as “self-gratifying conduct,” is a violation of the Vinaya in which a bhikkhu uses his own sexual organ with the hand or by other means for sexual self-gratification. This is regarded as a violation of one of the basic prohibitions in the Vinaya Piṭaka.

According to the Pāli Theravāda tradition, this act is a violation not only because it is related to sexual desire, but also because it reflects a loss of control over the senses. A bhikkhu has renounced household life to seek nirvana, the state of complete liberation from greed, hatred, and delusion. This action shows that the mind is still bound by desire and therefore cannot advance to higher practice.

The Vinaya Piṭaka prescribes that if a bhikkhu commits this offense, he must confess and undertake the appropriate penance (parivāsa). This is not an artificial punishment, but an opportunity for the monastic to recognize the action, reflect on its deep causes, and reestablish the will to control the mind.