Bi Pc 4141. Visiting places of pleasure
Pāli / Sanskrit:Rājāgāra
A nun who goes to see a pleasure house or a pleasure garden must confess the offense.
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Commentary on Bhikkhunī Pācittiya 41: Visiting Places of Entertainment
Background
Bhikkhunī Pācittiya 41 (Pācittiya rule 41), recorded in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga of the Vinaya Piṭaka, is one of the rules applying specifically to bhikkhunīs. This rule dates from a period when the Buddhist community of nuns had already been established, and the Buddha together with the senior members of the Saṅgha set forth regulations to protect the meditative composure, good reputation, and purity of the female practitioners.
According to the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of restrictive precepts but a body of guidance for the cultivation and refinement of the mind. Bhikkhunī Pācittiya 41 arose within a specific social context, in which places of entertainment and amusement — Rājāgāra, referring to such venues as pleasure gardens and performance stages — were regarded as locations that those in training would do best to avoid.
Principal Content
Rule 41 stipulates: if a bhikkhunī visits or views a pleasure house or pleasure garden (Rājāgāra), she must confess this offense. It is classified as a Pācittiya (Pāli: Pācittiya) offense — one that requires confession and acknowledgment before the Saṅgha.
It is important to understand that this action is not considered a violation of the highest gravity, yet it still requires attention and correction. The reason is not that such places are inherently "sinful" in nature, but that they represent a sphere liable to arouse sensual desire, to draw the attention outward, and to interrupt one's concentration on the Buddhist path.
Accordingly, bhikkhunīs should keep away from such locations. If it becomes unavoidable or necessary to pass through them, one must do so with full mindfulness. If one goes with the intention of visiting or watching performances for amusement, this constitutes a clear offense that must be confessed.
Practical Significance
This rule teaches that Buddhist practice requires careful and mindful discernment in the choice of one's environment. The mind is like a field: if we are continually exposed to stimuli that give rise to sensual desires, the cultivation of samādhi and wisdom becomes far more difficult.
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