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31. Lying on the same bed

Ekamañcatuvaṭṭana

A nun who lies down on the same bed as another nun must confess the offense.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2BhikkhunivibhaṅgaThe Nuns’ Analysis
  • 0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
  • 0.4TuvaṭṭavaggaThe subchapter on lying down

0.531. EkamañcatuvaṭṭanasikkhāpadaLying on the same bed

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,1.2Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhuniyo dve ekamañce tuvaṭṭenti.two nuns were lying down on the same bed.1.3Manussā vihāracārikaṁ āhiṇḍantā passitvā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—When people walking about the dwellings saw this, they complained and criticized them,1.4“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo dve ekamañce tuvaṭṭessanti, seyyathāpi gihiniyo kāmabhoginiyo”ti.“How can two nuns lie down on the same bed? They’re just like householders who indulge in worldly pleasures!”

1.5Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.The nuns heard the complaints of those people,1.6Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized them,1.7“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo dve ekamañce tuvaṭṭessantī”ti …pe…“How can nuns do this?” …1.8“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo dve ekamañce tuvaṭṭentī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that nuns do this?”

1.9“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.10Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.11kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo dve ekamañce tuvaṭṭessanti.“How can nuns do this?1.12Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.13evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.14.0Final ruling

1.14.1PTS 4.289“Yā pana bhikkhuniyo dve ekamañce tuvaṭṭeyyuṁ, pācittiyan”ti.‘If two nuns lie down on the same bed, they commit an offense entailing confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Yā panātiTwo:
2.1.2yā yādisā …pe…whoever …
2.1.3bhikkhuniyotiNuns:
2.1.4upasampannāyo vuccanti.fully ordained is what is meant.
2.1.5Dve ekamañce tuvaṭṭeyyuntiIf two lie down on the same bed:
2.1.6ekāya nipannāya aparā nipajjati, āpatti pācittiyassa.if, when one is lying down, the other lies down, they commit an offense entailing confession.2.1.7Ubho vā nipajjanti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If both lie down together, they commit an offense entailing confession.2.1.8Uṭṭhahitvā punappunaṁ nipajjanti, āpatti pācittiyassa.Every time they get up and then lie down again, they commit an offense entailing confession.

2.2.0Non-offenses

2.2.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.2.2ekāya nipannāya aparā nisīdati,if, when one is lying down, the other sits down; 2.2.3ubho vā nisīdanti,if both sit down together; 2.2.4ummattikānaṁ,if they are insane; 2.2.5ādikammikānanti.if they are the first offenders.

2.2.6Paṭhamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The first training rule is finished.