San Lo Bi Vb Pc 127Getting Nuns to Massage

The Bhikkhunī-ummaddāpana Sutta

On Asking Bhikkhunīs to Massage

Background

This sutta is recorded in the Pāli Vinaya, specifically in the Pācittiya section, rules of conduct requiring confession when violated. These are rules which, if a monastic, especially a male bhikkhu, violates them, require confession (pācitta) before the Sangha community, that is, a serious acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

The historical context of the Vinaya is connected with the early life of practice of the monastic order established by the Buddha. These rules were stated gradually in order to maintain discipline, restrain unwholesomeness, and protect the honor of the Bhikkhunī Sangha. The Vinaya is not a set of punishments like secular imprisonment, but wise instructions intended for spiritual education and ethical training.

Main Content

The Bhikkhunī-ummaddāpana Sutta addresses a specific situation: a male bhikkhu asks bhikkhunīs to massage him, rubbing or treating his body. This action is prohibited because it violates the principle of protecting gendered and spiritual respect within the monastic order.

According to the Pāli Canon, the main reason for this restriction is to avoid situations that may lead to misunderstanding, loss of virtue, and the undermining of lay people’s faith. Early Buddhism values purity of bodily action (kāya-kamma), not only with regard to the actual act but also with regard to situations that may arouse suspicion. If a male bhikkhu asks a bhikkhunī to massage him without a legitimate medical reason, or if the request is improper in character, it is regarded as Pācittiya, an offense requiring confession.

This reflects the principle of “Dhamma-vinaya” (Dharma and Vinaya) of the Buddha: not only evil actions, but also actions that create the risk of evil should be avoided. This is the spirit of the Pātimokkha, the fundamental discipline, the highest ethical rules for those gone forth.