Monks’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 6

^{Bu-Pc.6.1.1 BD.2.198} … at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the venerable Anuruddha, going to Sāvatthī through the country of Kosala, in the evening arrived at a certain village. Now at that time a rest-house^[1] in that village had been made ready by a certain woman. Then the venerable Anuruddha approached that woman,^[2] and having approached he spoke thus to that woman:

“Sister, if it does not inconvenience you, we would stay for one night in the rest-house.” “Do stay, honoured sir,” she said. But other travellers came up to that woman, and having come up, they spoke thus to that woman:

“Lady, if it does not inconvenience you, we would stay for one night ^Vin.4.18 in the rest-house.”

“But this master, the recluse, arrived first. If he allows it, do stay,” she said.

Then these travellers approached the venerable Anuruddha, and having approached, they spoke thus to the venerable Anuruddha:

“If it does not inconvenience you, honoured sir, we would stay for one night in the rest-house.”

“Do stay, sirs,” he said.

Then that woman, on account of his appearance, fell in love with the venerable Anuruddha. Then that woman approached the venerable Anuruddha, and having approached, she spoke thus to the venerable Anuruddha:

“Honoured sir, the master will not be comfortable, ^BD.2.199 crowded with these people. Honoured sir, it would be good if I were to prepare a couch within for the master.”

The venerable Anuruddha consented by becoming silent.

Then that woman, having prepared a couch within for the venerable Anuruddha, having decked herself up in ornaments,^[3] smelling of perfumes, approached the venerable Anuruddha, and having approached she spoke thus to the venerable Anuruddha:

“Honoured sir, the master is beautiful, good to look upon, charming; I also am beautiful, good to look upon, charming. It were good, honoured sir, if I were to become the master’s wife.”

When she had spoken thus, the venerable Anuruddha was silent. A second time … A third time that woman spoke thus to the venerable Anuruddha:

“Honoured sir, the master is beautiful, good to look upon, charming; I also am beautiful, good to look upon, charming. Pray, honoured sir, let the master take me as well as all the wealth.”

A third time the venerable Anuruddha became silent. Then that woman, having slipped off^[4] her outer cloak, walked up and down before the venerable Anuruddha, then she stood, then she sat down, then she lay down. Then the venerable Anuruddha, keeping control over (his) faculties,^[5] neither so much as looked at that woman nor addressed her. Then that woman said:

“Indeed it is wonderful, good sir, indeed it is marvellous, good sir, many men send for me with a hundred^[6] or a thousand,^[7] but this recluse, being himself begged by me does not desire to take me as well as all the wealth,” and dressing in her outer cloak, saluting ^BD.2.200 the feet of the venerable Anuruddha with her head, she spoke thus to the venerable Anuruddha:

“Honoured sir, a transgression has overcome^[8] me, in that I acted thus, foolish, misguided,^[9] wrong that I was. Honoured sir, let the master acknowledge for me the transgression as a transgression for the sake of restraint in the future.”

“Truly, sister, a transgression overcame you in that you acted thus, foolish, misguided, wrong that you were. But if you, sister, seeing the transgression as a transgression, ^Vin.4.19 confess^[10] according to the rule, we acknowledge it for you; for, sister, in the discipline of the noble, this is growth^[11]: whoever, seeing a transgression as a transgression, confesses according to the rule, and^[12] attains restraint in the future.”

Then that woman, at the end of that night, having with her own hands satisfied and served the venerable Anuruddha with abundant food, both solid and soft, greeting the venerable Anuruddha when he had eaten and removed his hand from the bowl, sat down at a respectful distance. As she was sitting down at a respectful distance, the venerable Anuruddha gladdened, roused, pleased, delighted that woman with talk on dhamma. Then that woman, gladdened, roused, pleased, delighted by the venerable Anuruddha with talk on dhamma, said to the venerable Anuruddha:

“Excellent, honoured sir, it is excellent, honoured sir; even as one, honoured sir, would set upright what is overturned, or would uncover what is hidden, or would point out the way to one who is astray, or would bring out an oil lamp into the darkness, so that those with eyes could see forms—even so has dhamma been explained in many a figure by master Anuruddha. Honoured sir, I myself go to the lord as refuge, to dhamma and to the Order of monks; let the master ^BD.2.201 receive me as a lay-follower from this day forth, so long as life lasts, as one gone for refuge.”^[13]

Then the venerable Anuruddha, having gone to Sāvatthī, told this matter to the monks. Those who were modest monks, looked down upon, criticised, spread it about, saying:

“How can the venerable Anuruddha lie down in a sleeping-place with a woman?” Then these monks told this matter to the lord …

“Is it true, as is said, that you, Anuruddha, lay down in a sleeping-place with a woman?”

“It is true, lord,” he said.

The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked him, saying:

“How can you, Anuruddha, lie down in a sleeping-place with a woman^[14]? Anuruddha, it is not for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … And thus, monks, this rule of training should be set forth :

“Whatever monk should lie down in a sleeping-place with a woman, there is an offence of expiation.”

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^Bu-Pc.6.2.1 Whatever means: … is monk to be understood in this case.

Woman means: a human woman, not a female yakkha, not a female departed one, not a female animal, even a little girl born this very day, all the more an older one.^[15]

With means: together.^[16]

Sleeping-place means: if it is fully covered, if it is fully closed round, if it is partially covered, if it is partially closed round.^{[17] Vin.4.20}

Should lie down in a sleeping-place means: if at sunset a monk lies down when a woman is lying down, there is an offence of expiation. If a woman lies down when ^BD.2.202 a monk is lying down, there is an offence of expiation. Or if both lie down there is an offence of expiation. If getting up, they lie down again, there is an offence of expiation.^[18]

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^Bu-Pc.6.2.2 If he thinks that it is a woman^[19] when it is a woman (and) lies down in a sleeping-place with (her), there is an offence of expiation. If he is in doubt as to whether it is a woman (and) lies down in a sleeping-place with (her), there is an offence of expiation. If he thinks that it is not a woman when it is a woman (and) lies down in a sleeping-place with (her), there is an offence of expiation. If it is half covered, half closed round, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he lies down in a sleeping-place with a female yakkha or with a female departed one or with a eunuch or with a female animal, there is an offence of wrong-doing.^[20] If he thinks that it is a woman when it is not a woman, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he is in doubt as to whether it is not a woman, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he thinks that it is not a woman when it is not a woman, there is no offence.

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^Bu-Pc.6.2.3 There is no offence if it is fully covered (but) not fully closed round, if it is fully closed round (but) not fully covered, if it is partially uncovered, partially not closed round, if the monk sits down while the woman is lying down, if the woman sits down while the monk is lying down, or if both sit down; if he is mad, if he is the first wrong-doer.^[21]

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The Sixth

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

āvasathāgāran ti āgantukānaṃ vasanāgāraṃ, a dwelling-house for those coming in, Vin-a.750. Cf. āvasatha-piṇḍa, below, BD.2.303.

[2]:

Vin-a.750 says that he had heard of this resting-place from other people.

[3]:

Cf. Vin.4.161.

[4]:

nikkhipitvā, ni + khipati, to put down or off.

[5]:

okkhipitvā, ava + khipati, to cast or throw down; figuratively usually applied to the eyes, and thence to the other senses; thus meaning to control, to have under control. Cf. AN.iv.254, where Anuruddha again indriyāni okkhipi.

[6]:

kahāpaṇas presumably.

[7]:

kahāpaṇas presumably.

[8]:

Following passage = DN.i.85. Cf. also MN.i.438.

[9]:

mūḷha, or erring, infatuated, blind.

[10]:

paṭikarosi. Above, BD.2.8, the word translated “confess” was deseti.

[11]:

Vuddhi h’esā ariyassa vinaye.

[12]:

ca omitted at DN.i.85.

[13]:

A stock formula—e.g., DN.i.85; AN.i.56.

[14]:

This seems unfair, as Anuruddha is shown not to have lain down with the woman. He was a cousin to Gotama, and one of his most eminent disciples. At AN.i.23 he is called chief of those of deva-like sight, a gift he highly prized; see MN.i.213.

[15]:

Cf. BD.1.202, BD.1.332.

[16]:

sahā ti ekato.

[17]:

Cf. above, BD.2.196.

[18]:

Cf. above, BD.2.196; Vin.4.138.

[19]:

Cf. below, BD.2.206, BD.2.358.

[20]:

Cf. below, BD.2.207, BD.2.358.

[21]:

Cf. above, BD.2.197.