San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Pc 25Travelling on a Boat With a Nun
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nāvābhiruhana
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Explanation of the Nāvābhiruhana Sutta (Traveling by Boat with a Bhikkhunī)
Context
The Nāvābhiruhana Sutta belongs to the Pātimokkha in the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Pācittiya section—the lesser disciplinary rules for monks and nuns. In the context of the Theravāda Vinaya, rules concerning conduct between bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs were established to protect the purity of the Sangha and maintain respect from the lay community.
This sutta arose from a specific situation in the practice life of the monks and nuns during the Buddha’s time. When bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs needed to travel to carry out missionary work or seek food, their traveling together in one boat gave rise to controversy concerning propriety—ethical appropriateness. This was not merely a theoretical matter, but a reality in the daily life of the early religious community.
Main Content
The Nāvābhiruhana Sutta stipulates that a bhikkhu should not travel alone by boat with a bhikkhunī, or vice versa. This prohibition does not arise from suspicion of immoral intention, but from the principle of great carefulness (appamāda) and the protection of the Sangha’s honor against harmful rumors.
In the Pāli tradition, this rule is classified as a Pācittiya—an offense requiring confession (paccattaṁ nikujjati). If a bhikkhu violates this rule, he must confess the offense before the Sangha or a leading elder. The rule does not require expulsion, but it must be regarded seriously as an ethical fault.
The basis of this disciplinary sutta lies in a profound principle: the actions of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs affect not only themselves, but also the image of the Sangha in the eyes of the people. A religious community lives depending on trust and respect from lay society. Therefore, even actions without evil intention can cause harm if they weaken this reverence.
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