San Mu Bu Pm GBM 3 Ss 1Masturbation
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sukkavisaṭṭhi
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Sukkavisaṭṭhi Sūtra (The Sūtra on the Act of Self-Abuse)
Background
Sukkavisaṭṭhi is a pericope in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, belonging to the disciplinary section (Pātimokkha) for bhikkhus. This sūtra was recorded to guide the Buddhist monastic community concerning acts that violate the fourth category among the basic rules for bhikkhus, faults related to mastery and control of the body.
In the historical context, after the Buddha Śākyamuni established the Sangha, he built a legal system to protect the purity of the monastic community and to maintain the image of the Dharma in the lay community. Sukkavisaṭṭhi is mentioned in early legal texts as a blameworthy offense (dukkaṭa or āpatti), depending on the degree and specific circumstances.
Main Content
Sukkavisaṭṭhi in Pāli refers to the act of self-abuse or self-stimulation of the sexual organs. In the Vinaya Piṭaka, this act is regarded as a moral violation that a bhikkhu must avoid. The basic reason is that it contradicts the principle of "brahmacariya" (the holy life, living a pure and celibate life), one of the foundations of Buddhist monastic life.
The Buddha taught that those who study his Dharma must restrain the senses (indriya-samvara) in order to remain apart from stimuli of craving. Sukkavisaṭṭhi is regarded as one way of arousing one’s own sensual desire, thereby harming mental concentration (samādhi) and deep understanding (paññā), two essential factors on the path of practice according to the Buddha Dharma.
Detailed legal works such as the Kaṇkhāvidhāraṇī, as well as commentaries (ṭīkā) by venerable elders such as the Dharma Master Sumangala, analyzed this issue with the aim of helping bhikkhus understand clearly the nature of the offense and the way to correct it.
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