Bi Pj 11. The training rule on sexual intercourse
Pāli / Sanskrit:Methunadhamma
A nun who voluntarily has sexual intercourse is expelled.
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Exposition of the Vinaya: The Rule on Sexual Intercourse
Background
This rule is recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the code of Vinaya for bhikkhunīs (female monastics) in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Buddha promulgated the training rules gradually, as the Saṅgha encountered specific situations in the course of practice and communal life. The rule on sexual intercourse (Methunadhamma) falls under the category of the most serious offenses, carrying a particularly grave weight for bhikkhunīs.
The historical background shows that the Buddha established the order of women following the request of his aunt Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī and many other women. In order to protect the purity of the order, to guard against the criticism of society at that time, and to maintain focus on the goal of liberation, the Buddha established strict training principles for bhikkhunīs. This rule is among the most foundational, reflecting the importance of safeguarding diligent practice on the path to liberation.
Main Content
The rule stipulates that: if a bhikkhunī willingly, with full knowledge of its nature, engages in sexual intercourse with any male being—whether human or otherwise—such an act constitutes a Pārājika offense, also known as a "defeat." The nature of this offense is that it is irreversible; that is, the bhikkhunī can no longer maintain her status as a bhikkhunī and must be expelled from the Saṅgha.
The word "willingly" (ñatta-sammata) is the key factor—the act must be carried out with one's own awareness and choice, and not under compulsion or in a state of unconsciousness. The word "sexual intercourse" (methuna) is not limited solely to a complete act, but encompasses any union of the sexual organs.
The purpose of this rule is not to judge or condemn, but to establish a clear boundary between the state of being a bhikkhunī and the state of no longer being one. The purity of the order of women depends upon its members upholding these fundamental precepts.
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