San Bu Pm Qizil Pc 65Lying Down With a Woman

Exposition of the Mātugāmasahaseyya Sutta (Lying Down With a Woman)

Background

The Mātugāmasahaseyya Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravada monastic tradition and records regulations concerning the way of life of monks. The Vinaya Pitaka is built on the basis of the rules (Patimokkha) laid down by the Buddha to guide the community of monks and nuns in practicing according to the true Dharma and maintaining pure discipline.

This sutta specifically addresses matters connected with celibate life and carefulness in relations between the sexes. In the context of Buddhist monastic life, separation and appropriate living arrangements are essential factors that help practitioners protect the mind and focus on the path of liberation. The rules in the Vinaya Pitaka are not meaningless restrictions, but practical means for removing potential dangers that could distract contemplation from the Dharma.

Main Content

The Mātugāmasahaseyya Sutta addresses specific situations in which a monk lies down together with a woman or stays in cramped, secluded places with women. The Buddha recognized that such situations, though not necessarily leading to a direct violation, create conditions and risks for unwholesome states such as sensual desire and aversion to arise.

According to the spirit of the Theravada Vinaya, regulations are given not because the action itself is necessarily a fault, but in order to "cut off the causes from which faults arise." This sutta reflects that principle: by avoiding circumstances that may stimulate unwholesome states, the practitioner protects his mind in purity and preserves ethical discipline.

The specific rules concern not lying in the same room and not staying in secluded places with women. This applies to both monks and nuns. Differences of gender are taken seriously not in order to condemn or disparage, but to recognize that such differences may affect the mind during the process of practice.