Bu Pc 77. Teaching a woman alone
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dhammadesanā
A monk who teaches a woman more than six sentences of the word of the Buddha must confess the offense.
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Teaching the Dharma to a Woman (Bu Pc 7)
Background
This rule appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka — the collection of rulings compiled following the earliest councils of the Theravāda Saṅgha. It reflects the historical context of the Buddha's lifetime, a period when the Saṅgha was newly established and monks (bhikkhus) were required to abide by rules of monastic conduct.
The context of Bu Pc 7 concerns the rule governing the behavior of male monastics when teaching women. The tradition holds that this rule was established to protect the stability of the monastic community and to maintain internal discipline. It is not a form of discrimination, but rather a set of practical norms intended to avoid situations that might give rise to distraction or adversely affect the composure of those engaged in practice.
Main Content
The rule stipulates that a monk may not teach a woman alone — delivering passages of the Dharma — beyond six lines of the Buddha's teaching without another person present. Should the monk violate this rule, he must confess the offense (Pācittiya — a category of Pātimokkha offense).
The phrase "six lines" (units of Dhamma material) in the context of the Pāli Piṭaka generally refers to brief portions of the teachings. This means that short teachings — even sharing just a few sentences on the Dharma — are permitted; however, when the discourse becomes more extended and in-depth, the presence of a witness (ordinarily another monastic or a trustworthy person) becomes necessary.
The intention of this rule is not to restrict the teaching of the Dharma, but to ensure transparency and to protect the integrity of both the monk and the woman. The presence of a witness is a means by which monastics may avoid unnecessary misunderstandings or unjust criticism.
Practical Significance
This rule exists within the broader context of the Vinaya — the Book of Discipline — the body of guidelines that assist monastics in maintaining a harmonious communal life. Bu Pc 7 is an illustration of how Buddhism values the community (Saṅgha) and the dynamics of social relationships.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.