San Lo Bi Vb Pc 128Getting Novices to Massage
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sāmaṇerī-ummaddāpana
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Explanation of the Sāmaṇerī-ummaddāpana Sutta
The Preliminary Sutta on Female Novices
Background
This sutta belongs to the Suttavibhaṅga, the Analysis of the Discipline, within the Phatimokkha Samvaranīya, the rules of self-protection, specifically as a Pācittiya, a minor offense requiring confession. This is the body of law regulating female novices (sāmaṇerī) in the early Buddhist community.
Sāmaṇerī, women who have gone forth but have not yet received the full Bhikṣuṇī ordination, are an important part of the Sangha. They practice a set of rules less rigorous than those of bhikṣuṇīs, female monks, yet must still follow high principles of discipline. This sutta addresses a specific issue: a female novice being asked by another, or permitted, to massage (ummaddāna) others.
According to the historical context, these were regulations established by the Buddha to maintain purity of conduct and avoid situations that could cause suspicion or lead to a lack of right faith. The Vinaya Piṭaka is built upon the principle of “taints,” the things that can defile the conduct of practitioners and the community.
Main Content
The regulation in the sutta revolves around whether a female novice may allow herself to perform, or actually perform, massage for another person, especially for men. The law was established in order to prevent unnecessary contact that could lead to abuse or suspicions concerning chastity.
According to this Pācittiya, if a female novice massages another person, especially a male, she commits a Pācittiya offense, that is, an offense requiring confession (pāpa) and the performance of a confession rite (pabbājanīya) before the community. This offense is not a Saṃghādisesa or Pārājika offense, which are more serious, but it still needs to be witnessed and confessed publicly.
The important point is that this rule does not obstruct other legitimate acts of care, such as providing drinking water or medicinal food (osadha). That is an important distinction between care for medical purposes and unnecessary activities involving bodily contact.
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