Bu Pc 66. Lying down with a woman
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mātugāmasahaseyya
A monk who lies down in the same room as a woman must confess the offense.
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Explanation of Bu Pc 6: Lying Down Together with a Woman
Background
This rule has its origin in the Khandhaka (the Vinaya Division), where the events leading to the Buddha's promulgation of the Pātimokkha precepts are recorded. At that time, certain monks had intimate social contact with women, sleeping in the same room, which gave rise to concern within the monastic community regarding the purity of the Sangha.
The Buddha, wishing to protect the moral well-being and spiritual integrity of the monks, as well as to maintain the confidence of the lay community in the Sangha, promulgated this rule. It is one of the important prohibitions (Pācittiya — an offense of expiation) within the Bhikkhu Pātimokkha, and a corresponding rule exists for bhikkhunīs as well.
Main Content
Mātugāmasahaseyya (mātugāma = woman; sahaseyya = lying down together) stipulates that a monk must not lie down to sleep in the same room or the same place as a woman. This includes lying together on the same bed or within an enclosed space in which a woman is also present. Should a monk transgress this rule, whether inadvertently or intentionally, he must confess the offense before the Sangha or before other monks; this is known as pācittiya — one of the more serious categories of offense, yet still one that admits of rehabilitation through confession.
The rule is not intended solely to prevent sexual misconduct. It also aims to forestall suspicion, to avert conflicts that might otherwise arise, and to protect the reputation both of the monk and of the women involved. Within the Theravāda tradition, this is regarded as the practice of sīla (moral virtue) at its highest level — extending beyond outward conduct to the purification of the mind itself.
Practical Significance
In the context of original Theravāda practice, this rule emphasizes the principles of caution (sampajañña, clear comprehension) and sense restraint (indriyasaṃvara). A monk is required to maintain a proper distance from persons of the opposite sex — not out of fear of temptation, but because doing so is the practice of wisdom and of genuine respect.
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