Bi Pc 9393. Getting a massage from a female householder
Pāli / Sanskrit:Gihinī-ummaddāpana
A nun who makes a laywoman rub her must confess the offense.
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Commentary on the Bhikkhunī Pācittiya Rule 93: Receiving a Massage from a Female Householder
Background
This rule is recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the recitation of precepts for nuns) within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of scriptures that sets forth in detail the actions, speech, and mental conduct of monks and nuns, with the aim of maintaining purity of heart and harmony within the Sangha.
Bhikkhunī Pācittiya Rule 93 concerns improper physical contact between a nun and a female lay person. Within the context of Theravāda Buddhist practice, it is necessary to maintain an appropriate degree of separation between those who have gone forth into the holy life and those who remain in the world. This is not because massage is in itself unwholesome, but because of the nature of spiritual cultivation—avoiding situations that may give rise to attachment and craving is part of the path of mindfulness.
This rule reflects the Sangha's sensitivity toward associations that may distract the mind, or create opportunities for misconceptions to arise among outsiders regarding the nature of monastic practice.
Main Content
According to the Bhikkhunī Pācittiya rules (those offenses requiring confession), a nun is not permitted to request or allow a female lay person to massage, rub, or perform similar actions upon her body. The Pāli term ummaddāpana refers to actions of rubbing, pressing, or massaging, with the purpose of relieving pain or producing physical comfort.
If a nun deliberately requests or encourages a female lay person to do this, she has committed a pācittiya offense. This offense differs from saṅghādisesa (heavier offenses) or pārājika (offenses that entail expulsion from the Sangha), yet it still requires a formal confession (pāpañña desanā) before the Sangha or at least three other nuns.
This rule applies to all forms of physical contact that serve the purpose of relieving bodily discomfort or producing physical pleasure.
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