Bi Pc 9292. Getting a massage from a novice nun

Commentary on Bi Pc 92: Sāmaṇerī-ummaddāpana

Background

This rule is found in the Bhikkhuṇī Pātimokkha (the code of individual rules for bhikkhuṇīs), which is the collection of training rules established specifically for nuns (bhikkhuṇī). In the Theravāda tradition, the Pātimokkha forms the foundation of the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifying precisely which actions constitute defeat offenses (pārājika), offenses entailing initial and subsequent meetings of the Sangha (saṅghādisesa), or minor offenses requiring confession.

This rule arose from situations occurring within the early community of female monastics. When bhikkhuṇīs began accepting sāmaṇerīs—novice nuns who are still training and have not yet received full ordination—it became necessary to establish clear boundaries regarding the appropriate relationship between senior monastics and their students. This rule addresses a specific case: a bhikkhuṇī requesting that a young novice nun give her a massage.

Main Content

The rule in Bi Pc 92 is clear: if a bhikkhuṇī instructs a novice nun to massage or rub her body (sāmaṇerī-ummaddāpana), that bhikkhuṇī must confess the offense. This is a pācittiya offense—an act of wrongdoing—requiring confession before the Sangha or before other bhikkhuṇīs according to the formal procedure.

The reasoning behind this rule stems from a fundamental principle of the Dharma: restraint (saṁvara) and the non-exploitation of those who are weaker. A young novice nun, not yet possessing the wisdom and experience of a fully ordained bhikkhuṇī, is easily influenced or taken advantage of. By requesting a massage, the bhikkhuṇī both reveals an excessive attachment to bodily comfort and places the novice in a subordinate position incompatible with the spirit of equal renunciant practice.

The word "ummaddāpana" (from ummaddati: to rub, knead, or massage) refers to acts of bodily care such as massage, anointing with oil, and the like.