Sabhojana

Theravāda Vinaya

Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law

Mahāvibhaṅga

The Great Analysis

Pācittiyakaṇḍa

The chapter on offenses entailing confession

Acelakavagga

The subchapter on naked ascetics

43. Sabhojanasikkhāpada

Intruding on a lustful couple

Origin story

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

On one occasion when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā upanando sakyaputto sahāyakassa gharaṁ gantvā tassa pajāpatiyā saddhiṁ sayanighare nisajjaṁ kappesi.

Venerable Upananda the Sakyan went to the house of a friend and sat down with his wife in their bedroom.

Atha kho so puriso yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

The husband approached Upananda, bowed, and sat down.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so puriso pajāpatiṁ etadavoca—“dadehāyyassa bhikkhan”ti.

He then said to his wife, “Please give him alms.”

Atha kho sā itthī āyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa bhikkhaṁ adāsi.

And she did so.

Atha kho so puriso āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ etadavoca—“gacchatha, bhante, yato ayyassa bhikkhā dinnā”ti.

Soon afterwards he said, “Please leave, sir, the alms have been given.”

Atha kho sā itthī sallakkhetvā—“pariyuṭṭhito ayaṁ puriso”ti, āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ etadavoca—“nisīdatha, bhante, mā agamitthā”ti.

But the woman, knowing that her husband was lustful, said, “Please sit, sir, don’t go.”

Dutiyampi kho so puriso …pe…

A second time and

tatiyampi kho so puriso āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ etadavoca—“gacchatha, bhante, yato ayyassa bhikkhā dinnā”ti.

a third time he repeated his request,

Tatiyampi kho sā itthī āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ etadavoca—“nisīdatha, bhante, mā agamitthā”ti.

and both times his wife repeated hers.

Atha kho so puriso nikkhamitvā bhikkhū ujjhāpesi—

He then left the house and complained to the monks,

“ayaṁ, bhante, ayyo upanando mayhaṁ pajāpatiyā saddhiṁ sayanighare nisinno.

“Venerables, Venerable Upananda is seated with my wife in our bedroom.

So mayā uyyojīyamāno na icchati gantuṁ.

When I ask him to leave because we’re busy, he doesn’t want to go.”

Bahukiccā mayaṁ bahukaraṇīyā”ti.

Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—

The monks of few desires complained and criticized Upananda,

“kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto sabhojane kule anupakhajja nisajjaṁ kappessatī”ti …pe…

“How could Venerable Upananda sit down intruding on a lustful couple?” …

“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, upananda, sabhojane kule anupakhajja nisajjaṁ kappesī”ti?

“Is it true, Upananda, that you did this?”

“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.

“It’s true, sir.”

Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…

The Buddha rebuked him …

kathañhi nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, sabhojane kule anupakhajja nisajjaṁ kappessasi.

“Foolish man, how could you do this?

Netaṁ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…

This will affect people’s confidence …” …

evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

Final ruling

“Yo pana bhikkhu sabhojane kule anupakhajja nisajjaṁ kappeyya, pācittiyan”ti.

‘If a monk sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Definitions

Yo panāti

A:

yo yādiso …pe…

whoever …

bhikkhūti

Monk:

…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.

… The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.

Sabhojanaṁ nāma kulaṁ

A lustful couple:

itthī ceva hoti puriso ca, itthī ca puriso ca ubho anikkhantā honti, ubho avītarāgā.

both a woman and a man are present. The woman and the man have not both left, and both are not without lust.

Anupakhajjāti

Intruding on:

anupavisitvā.

enters after.

Nisajjaṁ kappeyyāti

Sits down:

mahallake ghare piṭṭhasaṅghāṭassa hatthapāsaṁ vijahitvā nisīdati, āpatti pācittiyassa.

in a large house, if he sits down more than one arm’s reach inside the door frame, he commits an offense entailing confession.

Khuddake ghare piṭṭhivaṁsaṁ atikkamitvā nisīdati, āpatti pācittiyassa.

In a small house, if he sits down beyond the ridge beam, he commits an offense entailing confession.

Permutations

Sayanighare sayanigharasaññī sabhojane kule anupakhajja nisajjaṁ kappeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.

If it is a bedroom, and he perceives it as such, and he sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession.

Sayanighare vematiko sabhojane kule anupakhajja nisajjaṁ kappeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.

If it is a bedroom, but he is unsure of it, and he sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession.

Sayanighare nasayanigharasaññī sabhojane kule anupakhajja nisajjaṁ kappeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.

If it is a bedroom, but he does not perceive it as such, and he sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession.

Nasayanighare sayanigharasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

If it is not a bedroom, but he perceives it as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Nasayanighare vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

If it is not a bedroom, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Nasayanighare nasayanigharasaññī, anāpatti.

If it is not a bedroom, and he does not perceive it as such, there is no offense.

Non-offenses

Anāpatti—

There is no offense:

mahallake ghare piṭṭhasaṅghāṭassa hatthapāsaṁ avijahitvā nisīdati,

if, in a large house, he sits down, but not more than one arm’s reach inside the door frame;

khuddake ghare piṭṭhivaṁsaṁ anatikkamitvā nisīdati,

if, in a small house, he sits down, but not beyond the ridge beam;

bhikkhu dutiyo hoti,

if he has a companion monk;

ubho nikkhantā honti,

if both have left;

ubho vītarāgā,

if both are without lust;

nasayanighare,

if it is not a bedroom;

ummattakassa,

if he is insane;

ādikammikassāti.

if he is the first offender.

Sabhojanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ tatiyaṁ.

The training rule on intruding on a lustful couple, the third, is finished.