Bi Pc 9191. Getting a massage from a trainee nun

Sikkhamānā-ummaddāpana Sutta

On Having a Trainee Nun Give a Massage

Background

The Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon is the collection of training rules governing the lives of monastics. The Sikkhamānā-ummaddāpana belongs to the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, specifically within the Pācittiya rules — offenses that require confession and expiation.

The historical context shows that the Buddha established these rules when certain bhikkhunīs violated proper conduct in their management of trainee nuns (sikkhamānās). A sikkhamānā is a woman who aspires to full ordination but has not yet formally received the complete precepts, and thus occupies an intermediate position within the training system of the Saṅgha.

Main Content

This rule makes a clear determination: if a bhikkhunī requests or permits a sikkhamānā to use her hands to massage or rub her body — whether for the purpose of healing illness or of drawing out unwanted substances from the body (such as blood or phlegm) — she must acknowledge and confess this offense. This is a Pācittiya offense, meaning a transgression requiring confession before the assembly of bhikkhunīs.

The reason for establishing this rule lies in the principle of the teacher-student relationship. A bhikkhunī, in her role as instructor to the sikkhamānā, must maintain proper boundaries and ought not to exploit her position of authority. Requiring a person of lower standing — a sikkhamānā who has not yet received full ordination — to perform personal care tasks violates the spirit of equality, compassion, and respect for the individual autonomy of each member of the Saṅgha.

Furthermore, allowing a sikkhamānā to make physical contact with a bhikkhunī's body may give rise to various disadvantages: creating unnecessary dependency, diminishing the dignity of the sikkhamānā, or providing occasion for conduct that is inappropriate. This rule therefore protects both the bhikkhunī and the sikkhamānā alike.