Bi Ss 1313. Encouraging inappropriate socializing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Saṁsaṭṭhānuvattaka
A nun who persistently encourages other nuns to act in contravention of the previous rule is to be suspended.
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Commentary on Bhikkhunī Saṅghādisesa 13: The Rule Concerning the Encouragement of Inappropriate Association
Background
In the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, the rules for bhikkhunīs were established to protect the order of female monastics, to maintain discipline and the purity of the Saṅgha. Bhikkhunī Saṅghādisesa 13 concerns conduct in which one encourages other female monastics to transgress the rules regarding inappropriate association. This rule appears within the context of the Pātimokkha recitation rules, reflecting the need to preserve communal discipline.
Prior to this rule, the female monastics already had rules concerning association with unsuitable persons, particularly relationships that could present obstacles to practice. Bhikkhunī Saṅghādisesa 13 speaks to those women who have gone forth into homelessness yet incline toward encouraging their sisters not to comply with these restrictions. This is a matter of negative influence within the practicing community.
Main Content
This rule stipulates that a female monastic who repeatedly encourages other female monastics to act contrary to the preceding rule — Saṁsaṭṭhānuvattaka, meaning "one who follows after or seeks out association" — must undergo the penalty of suspension. Specifically, if a bhikkhunī persistently persuades and incites other bhikkhunīs to enter into relationships or associations that are not permitted under the Pātimokkha rules, that person is placed in the condition of Parivāsa, a suspension from public teaching and the study of the Dhamma.
Unlike rules that require expulsion from the Saṅgha altogether, the penalty of suspension allows the female monastic to continue residing in the monastery, yet she must observe certain restrictions. She is not permitted to participate in the ordinary communal and Dhamma activities of the community, nor does she have the right to study the Dhamma publicly or to instruct other female monastics.
The content of this rule emphasizes an important point: this conduct is not a single, accidental transgression, but is persistent and repeated. This indicates that it reflects an attitude of obstinacy or a deliberate obstruction of monastic discipline.
Practical Significance
This rule carries a significance that extends far beyond formal prohibitions.
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