San Mg Bu Pm Ss 5Matchmaking

Explanation of the Sañcaritta Discourse (Discourse on Six Actions)

Background

The Sañcaritta discourse belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically the Suttavibhaṅga section of the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha. These are rules concerning the ethical qualities of female bhikkhus (bhikkhunīs) in the early Buddhist Sangha.

This context arose from incidents that occurred when bhikkhunīs violated the noble spirit of practice. The Buddha established the Pātimokkha (disciplinary rules) not only to protect the Sangha, but also to nurture genuine virtue. The Sañcaritta discourse reflects this carefulness: it teaches actions to be avoided, especially conduct that violates the spirit of celibacy and purity that bhikkhunīs must uphold.

Main Content

Sañcaritta (Skt. Saṃcārita) means “action” or “conduct” (from “sañ” = together, and “carita” = action). This discourse focuses on inappropriate actions that a bhikkhunī is not permitted to perform, especially in relation to men.

These actions include touching the hand, holding the hand, touching the hip, holding the waist, or any bodily contact with ambiguous or sexual meaning. Even actions that appear to be “arranging a marriage” (matchmaking), creating conditions for men and women to meet for the purpose of marriage, are prohibited. This stems from the case of some bhikkhunīs who became involved in arranging marriages for women in their families, or even became involved in these actions themselves.

The reason for this prohibition is not that marriage is bad; Buddhism does not deny that marriage is a legitimate path for householders. Rather, it is because a bhikkhunī has renounced the emotional life in order to devote herself wholly to the Buddha’s path. These actions, however small, are signs of deviation from the goal of liberation.