Staying Together

The next rule deals with the proximity of bhikkhus and women at night. There are different interpretations of this rule and as it is a frequently asked question extra translations with some discussion will be included.

This rule originally arose when Ven. Anuruddha — one of the most highly accomplished disciples of the Buddha — was traveling and asked the woman who owned a travelers rest house if he could stay the night. She readily agreed and when more travelers arrived and Ven. Anuruddha let them share the room, she invited him to come and sleep inside instead. She had, however, become infatuated with him and tried to seduce him. When she saw that Ven. Anuruddha was completely unmoved, she came to her senses and asked his forgiveness. Ven. Anuruddha then gave her a Dhamma talk which so delighted her that she took refuge in the Triple Gem.

Here are several translations:^[1]

"If a bhikkhu sleeps in a place where there is a surrounding wall and under the same roof with a woman, even for one night, it is [an offence of Confession.]" (Paac. 6; Nv p.14)

"A monk who lies down with a female in the same building under the same roof and within walls, which are complete or almost complete, commits [a Confession Offence.]" (Paac. 6; BBC p.120)

"Lying down at the same time in the same lodging with a woman is [an offence of Confession.]"

(Paac. 6; BMC p.280)

There are complications concerning how this rule should be applied to modern conditions, for example:

"Houses in tropical climates are often constructed without the system of doors and rooms found in colder climates, hence the importance of this rule. Bhikkhus obliged to stay in a Western type house with lockable rooms in places where no [monastery] exists, as must sometimes happen during Dhammaduta [Spreading Dhamma] work, will hardly be included here." (Paat. 1966 Ed.; p106)

"The Commentary (Samantapaasaadika) further explains that when there are many rooms in a single building — such as in a block of flats or apartments — the same sleeping place is only those rooms which have a common entrance (upacaara). It continues by explaining that an entrance is where one washes ones feet before entering a set of rooms. Now each flat/apartment usually has a doormat on which one wipes ones feet before entering the flat/apartment and therefore, following the Commentary, the doormat marks the entrance (upacaara) of a single same sleeping place. In other words, separate flats/apartments become separate sleeping places for the purposes of this rule."

(AB)^[2]

So there are different interpretations as to exactly what is meant by same place. For example, does a locked door make a room a separate place? The Commentary suggests that if a building is divided into units that are not connected and each has a separate entrance, then each unit counts as a place. Therefore apartment blocks would be allowable. And hospitals?

In the West, where there are few monasteries, visiting bhikkhus have to decide how to follow these rules. It is not just a question of being strict but also about how it looks to lay people. Will they be suspicious about a bhikkhu staying too close to women? How will they feel if he stays in an expensive hotel room? A good standard is probably:

"...since the Canon gives no clear guidance on this point, the wise policy for an individual bhikkhu is to follow the views of the Community to which he belongs."

(BMC p.274)

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The fifth Confession Rule is similar to the sixth, however it is concerned with men. It arose when some newly ordained bhikkhus lay down and slept in the hall in the presence of lay people, "careless, thoughtless, naked, mumbling, snoring." The lay people criticized them so the Buddha prohibited monks from sleeping under the same roof as lay people. However, later he found that the novice Rahula was having to sleep in an outside toilet because there was otherwise no room, so he relaxed the rule to allow for a temporary stay together.

Rule Summary: "Lying down at the same time, in the same lodging, with a novice or layman for more than three nights running is [an offence of Confession]." (Paac. 5; BMC p.276)

[2]:

However, another commentator does not think that a "block of flats or apartments" fits in with this interpretation, for it is really only concerned with buildings that are connected by porches and walkways in the Asian style.