0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
0.2MahāvibhaṅgaThe Great Analysis
0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
0.4AcelakavaggaThe subchapter on naked ascetics

0.545. RahonisajjasikkhāpadaSitting alone with a woman

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.On one occasion when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,1.2Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā upanando sakyaputto sahāyakassa gharaṁ gantvā tassa pajāpatiyā saddhiṁ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṁ kappesi.Venerable Upananda the Sakyan went to the house of a friend and sat down in private alone with his wife.1.3Atha kho so puriso ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti—The husband complained and criticized him,1.4“kathañhi nāma ayyo upanando mayhaṁ pajāpatiyā saddhiṁ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṁ kappessatī”ti.“How could Venerable Upananda sit down in private alone with my wife?”

1.5Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tassa purisassa ujjhāyantassa khiyyantassa vipācentassa.The monks heard the complaints of that man,1.6Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—and the monks of few desires complained and criticized Upananda,1.7“kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto mātugāmena saddhiṁ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṁ kappessatī”ti …pe…“How could Venerable Upananda sit down in private alone with a woman?” …1.8“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, upananda, mātugāmena saddhiṁ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṁ kappesī”ti?“Is it true, Upananda, that you did this?”

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

1.10Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked him …1.11kathañhi nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, mātugāmena saddhiṁ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṁ kappessasi.“Foolish man, how could you do this?1.12Netaṁ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pāsādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.13evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.14.0Final ruling

1.14.1“Yo pana bhikkhu mātugāmena saddhiṁ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṁ kappeyya, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk sits down in private alone with a woman, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Yo panātiA:: 2.1.2yo yādiso …pe…whoever …
2.1.3bhikkhūtiMonk:: 2.1.4…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.… The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.
2.1.5Mātugāmo nāmaA woman:: 2.1.6manussitthī, na yakkhī na petī na tiracchānagatā, viññū paṭibalā subhāsitadubbhāsitaṁ duṭṭhullāduṭṭhullaṁ ājānituṁ.a human female, not a female spirit, not a female ghost, not a female animal. She understands and is capable of discerning good and bad speech, what is decent and what is indecent.
2.1.7SaddhintiWith:: 2.1.8ekato.together.
2.1.9Eko ekāyātiAlone:: 2.1.10bhikkhu ceva hoti mātugāmo ca.just the monk and the woman.
2.1.11Raho nāmaIn private:: 2.1.12cakkhussa raho, sotassa raho.private to the eye and private to the ear.
2.1.13Cakkhussa raho nāmaPrivate to the eye:: 2.1.14na sakkā hoti akkhiṁ vā nikhaṇīyamāne bhamukaṁ vā ukkhipīyamāne sīsaṁ vā ukkhipīyamāne passituṁ.one is unable to see them winking, raising an eyebrow, or nodding.
2.1.15Sotassa raho nāmaPrivate to the ear:: 2.1.16na sakkā hoti pakatikathā sotuṁ.one is unable to hear ordinary speech.
2.1.17Nisajjaṁ kappeyyātiSits down:: 2.1.18mātugāme nisinne bhikkhu upanisinno vā hoti upanipanno vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.if the monk sits down or lies down next to the seated woman, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.1.19Bhikkhu nisinne mātugāmo upanisinno vā hoti upanipanno vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the woman sits down or lies down next to the seated monk, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.1.20Ubho vā nisinnā honti ubho vā nipannā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If both are seated or both are lying down, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Mātugāme mātugāmasaññī eko ekāya raho nisajjaṁ kappeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is a woman, and he perceives her as such, and he sits down in private alone with her, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.2Mātugāme vematiko eko ekāya raho nisajjaṁ kappeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is a woman, but he is unsure of it, and he sits down in private alone with her, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.3Mātugāme amātugāmasaññī eko ekāya raho nisajjaṁ kappeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is a woman, but he does not perceive her as such, and he sits down in private alone with her, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.4Yakkhiyā vā petiyā vā paṇḍakena vā tiracchānagatamanussaviggahitthiyā vā saddhiṁ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṁ kappeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If he sits down in private alone with a female spirit, a female ghost, a <i lang='pi' translate='no'>paṇḍaka</i>, or a female animal in the form of a woman, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.5Amātugāme mātugāmasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not a woman, but he perceives them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.6Amātugāme vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not a woman, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.7Amātugāme amātugāmasaññī, anāpatti.If it is not a woman, and he does not perceive them as such, there is no offense.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2yo koci viññū puriso dutiyo hoti,if he has a male companion who understands;2.3.3tiṭṭhati na nisīdati,if he stands and does not sit down;2.3.4arahopekkhoif he is not seeking privacy;2.3.5aññavihito nisīdati,if he sits down preoccupied with something else;¹2.3.6ummattakassa,if he is insane;2.3.7ādikammikassāti.if he is the first offender.

2.3.8Rahonisajjasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ pañcamaṁ.The training rule on sitting alone with a woman, the fifth, is finished.

45. Sitting alone with a woman