True DhammaLibrary · Community
Bi Pc 52 min read

5. Intimate washing

Udakasuddhika

A nun who inserts more than two joints of the fingers into the vagina 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
  • 0.4LasuṇavaggaThe subchapter on garlic

0.55. UdakasuddhikasikkhāpadaIntimate washing

1.1.0Origin story

1.1.1PTS 4.262Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme.At one time when the Buddha was staying in the Sakyan country in the Banyan Tree Monastery at Kapilavatthu,1.1.2Atha kho mahāpajāpati gotamī yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā adhovāte aṭṭhāsi—Mahāpajāpati Gotamī went to him and bowed. Standing downwind from him, she said,1.1.3“duggandho, bhagavā, mātugāmo”ti.“Sir, women smell.”

1.1.4Atha kho bhagavā—1.1.5“ādiyantu kho bhikkhuniyo udakasuddhikan”ti, mahāpajāpatiṁ gotamiṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi.“Well then, the nuns should clean themselves with water.” And the Buddha instructed, inspired, and gladdened her with a teaching,1.1.6Atha kho mahāpajāpati gotamī bhagavatā dhammiyā kathāya sandassitā samādapitā samuttejitā sampahaṁsitā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.after which she bowed down, circumambulated him with her right side toward him, and left.1.1.7Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

1.1.8“anujānāmi, bhikkhave, bhikkhunīnaṁ udakasuddhikan”ti.“Monks, I allow the nuns to clean themselves with water.”

1.2.1Tena kho pana samayena aññatarā bhikkhunī—Being aware that the Buddha had allowed cleaning with water,1.2.2“bhagavatā udakasuddhikā anuññātā”ti atigambhīraṁ udakasuddhikaṁ ādiyantī muttakaraṇe vaṇaṁ akāsi.a nun did it too deeply, causing a sore in her vagina.

1.2.3Atha kho sā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ āroceti.She told the nuns what had happened.1.2.4Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.2.5“kathañhi nāma bhikkhunī atigambhīraṁ udakasuddhikaṁ ādiyissatī”ti …pe…“How could a nun clean herself too deeply with water?” …1.2.6“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī atigambhīraṁ udakasuddhikaṁ ādiyatī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that a nun did this?”

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

1.2.8Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her,1.2.9kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī atigambhīraṁ udakasuddhikaṁ ādiyissati.“How could a nun clean herself too deeply with water?1.2.10Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.2.11evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.2.12.0Final ruling

1.2.12.1“Udakasuddhikaṁ pana bhikkhuniyā ādiyamānāya dvaṅgulapabbaparamaṁ ādātabbaṁ. Taṁ atikkāmentiyā pācittiyan”ti.‘If a nun is cleaning herself with water, she may insert two finger joints at the most. If she goes further than that, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Udakasuddhikaṁ nāmaIs cleaning herself with water:
2.1.2muttakaraṇassa dhovanā vuccati.rinsing the vagina is what is meant.
2.1.3ĀdiyamānāyātiCleaning:
2.1.4dhovantiyā.rinses.
2.1.5Dvaṅgulapabbaparamaṁ ādātabbantiShe may insert two finger joints at the most:
2.1.6dvīsu aṅgulesu dve pabbaparamā ādātabbā.she may insert two joints of two fingers at the most.
2.1.7Taṁ atikkāmentiyātiIf she goes further than that:
2.1.8samphassaṁ sādiyantī antamaso kesaggamattampi atikkāmeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.if she consents to the contact and goes further even by a hair’s breadth, she commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Atirekadvaṅgulapabbe atirekasaññā ādiyati, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is more than two finger joints, and she perceives it as more, and she inserts them, she commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.2Atirekadvaṅgulapabbe vematikā ādiyati, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is more than two finger joints, but she is unsure of it, and she inserts them, she commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.3PTS 4.263Atirekadvaṅgulapabbe ūnakasaññā ādiyati, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is more than two finger joints, but she perceives it as less, and she inserts them, she commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.4Ūnakadvaṅgulapabbe atirekasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is less than two finger joints, but she perceives it as more, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.5Ūnakadvaṅgulapabbe vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is less than two finger joints, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.6Ūnakadvaṅgulapabbe ūnakasaññā, anāpatti.If it is less than two finger joints, and she perceives it as less, there is no offense.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2dvaṅgulapabbaparamaṁ ādiyati,if she inserts two finger joints; 2.3.3ūnakadvaṅgulapabbaparamaṁ ādiyati,if she inserts less than two finger joints; 2.3.4ābādhapaccayā,if she does it because she is sick; 2.3.5ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.3.6ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.3.7Pañcamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The fifth training rule is finished.