Expulsion 5

The Buddha was staying at Kapilavatthu in the Sakyan Banyan Tree monastery. At that time, the World-honored One had laid down the precept that it’s not allowed for bhikkhunīs to live in the wilderness. Then Rāṣṭrā bhikkhunī didn’t have a monastery in the village yet. She was staying with a Sakyan family, and teaching a young Sakyan man the suttas. Rāṣṭrā bhikkhunī’s body was graceful and she wasn’t yet free from desire. The youth was also graceful, and not yet free from desire. Every day, he came three times to learn about the suttas. Then when the bhikkhunī had seen him so often, desire obsessed her mind. Eventually, she became sick, and her complexion turned yellow. The bhikkhunīs inquired: “Venerable, from what do you suffer? Which medicines do you need? If you need ghee, oil, honey, or sugar, we’ll provide it for you.” She answered: “I don’t need anything. I’ll recover on my own.” The male and female lay Buddhists inquired the same. Then the young Sakyan man asked her: “Venerable, from what do you suffer? Which medicines do you need? I’ll provide it for you. What we have in the house, I’ll give. If we don’t have it, I’ll request it from other places and give it.”

She answered: “Long-lived One, there are no medicines that can cure me.” He asked again: “Venerable, this sickness is then not because of a bodily ailment? I take it it’s a mental illness?” She answered: “It’s as you said.” He asked again: “How will you recover from this sickness?” The bhikkhunī said: “Do you want to cure me?” He answered: “I want to cure you.” And he asked again: “Whatever you need I’ll seek for it now and give it to you.” The bhikkhunī said: “Come and do ‘the act’ with me.” The young man answered: “I don’t dare to do that. Even towards other renunciates who wear monastic robes, I don’t give rise to such mindstates. How much less then towards the teacher whom I respect so much?” She said again: “If you can’t do it, then just hug me, kiss me, hold me, and stroke me up and down.” He answered: “If you just need that, I can do that.” He then hugged her, kissed her, squeezed her two breasts, and stroked her up and down. When they had obtained enjoyment, they afterwards often did it again. As the World-honored One said: “When we think about the body, don’t forget that a defiled mind arises, such as a woman thinking about men, or a man thinking about women.” From then on, they did it again and again without stopping. The other bhikkhunīs said: “Venerable, don’t do this. It’s not allowable.” She answered: “When I do it, I feel pleasure.”

The bhikkhunīs then told Mahāpajāpatī about this matter. When she had heard it, she went and informed the World-honored One. The Buddha said: “Summon Rāṣṭrā bhikkhunī.” When she came, he asked her: “Did you really with a defiled mind, feel pleasure from being rubbed and touched below the shoulders and above the knees by a man with a defiled mind?” She answered: “I really did this, World-honored One.” The Buddha said: “Rāṣṭrā, this is an unwholesome thing. Have you not often heard me with countless skillful means criticize sexual desire. Desire intoxicates you. Desire is like a great fire that burns people’s wholesome roots. Desire causes great suffering. I’ve often with countless skillful means praised abandoning desire, eliminating desire, and crossing over desire. How could you now do this unwholesome thing? This is against the dhamma, against the vinaya. One can’t develop in wholesome states like this.” The Buddha told Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī: “Convene all the bhikkhunīs living in the vicinity of Kapilavatthu.” When they had gathered, the World-honored One for this reason explained to the bhikkhunīs in detail the transgression that had arisen. When he had criticized this arisen transgression with all kinds of reasons, he taught the dhamma to the bhikkhunīs accordingly: “There are 10 benefits for which the Tathāgata, worthy of offerings and of complete knowledge, lays down precepts for his disciples, and establishes the recitation of the pātimokkha rules. Which 10?

1) To hold the sangha together; 2) to hold the sangha together well; 3) for the comfort of the sangha; 4) to subdue shameless persons; 5) to let conscientious persons live in peace; 6) so that faithless persons may acquire faith; 7) so that faithful persons grow in faith; 8) to attain the exhaustion of the taints in this present life; 9) so that not yet arisen taints won’t arise; 10) so that the true dhamma may last long, that the doors to the sweet nectar “Sweet nectar” is probably a rendering of amṛta / amata, which has two meanings: ambrosia, the drink of the gods; and the deathless. The ancient Chinese translators chose to go with the first meaning. Pāli parallels of this expression are usually translated as “the doors to the deathless”.* are opened for gods and humans. These are the 10. For these 10 benefits, the Tathāgata, worthy of offerings and of complete knowledge, lays down precepts for his disciples, and establishes the recitation of the pātimokkha rules. … Those who haven’t yet heard them should listen. Those who have already heard it should listen again:

Final Ruling

If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind, feels pleasure from being rubbed and touched below the shoulders and above the knees by a man with a defiled mind, that bhikkhunī is pārājika, and shouldn’t live in community.”

Explanation

“A bhikkhunī” is as explained above. “A man with a defiled mind” means a lustful mind. “Below the shoulders” means below the breasts. “Above the knees” means from the thighs up to the navel. “Rubbing and touching” means moving the hands to stroke. “Feeling pleasure” means to attain happiness and defiled attachment. This bhikkhunī is pārājika. “A pārājika” is as explained above. “Not living in community” means she may not stay with the bhikkhunīs, and may not take dhamma nourishment or material nourishment. As before so also afterwards, as afterwards so also before, she’s pārājika, and may not live in community. If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind, close to a man with a defiled mind, feels pleasure from being rubbed and touched below the shoulders and above the knees, she’s pārājika, and shouldn’t live in community.

If she does this with an impotent man or a woman, it’s a thullaccaya offense. If the bhikkhunī has a defiled mind and the man has an undefiled mind, it’s also a pārājika. If it’s an impotent man or a woman, it’s a thullaccaya offense. If the bhikkhunī has an undefiled mind and the man has a defiled mind, it’s a thullaccaya. If it’s an impotent man or a woman, she breaks a minor vinaya rule. If the bhikkhunī has an undefiled mind and the man also has an undefiled mind, she breaks a minor vinaya rule. If it’s an impotent man or a woman, she transgresses against vinaya and should mentally repent. If a bhikkhunī has a man shave her hair, two women must harshly press her to make her feel the women’s touch, not the man’s. In the same way, if he cuts her head and it bleeds, if he cuts her shoulder, or if he cuts her foot, she should have women grasp her harshly to make her feel the women’s touch, not the man’s. If she has an abscess above the shoulders or below the knees, and if she has women hold her while a man opens it, there’s no offense. In the hidden place, this isn’t allowed. “The hidden place” means below the shoulders and above the knees. If there’s a sickness in this place, she should have a woman treat it. This is what was said.