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52. Tickling

Aṅgulipatodaka

A monk who tickles another monk must confess the offense.

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

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2MahāvibhaṅgaThe Great Analysis
  • 0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
  • 0.4SurāpānavaggaThe subchapter on drinking alcohol

0.552. AṅgulipatodakasikkhāpadaTickling

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 chabbaggiyā bhikkhū sattarasavaggiyaṁ bhikkhuṁ aṅgulipatodakena hāsesuṁ.the monks from the group of six tickled one of the monks from the group of seventeen to make him laugh.1.3So bhikkhu uttanto anassāsako kālamakāsi.Not being able to catch his breath, he died.

1.4Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The monks of few desires complained and criticized them,1.5PTS 4.111“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhikkhuṁ aṅgulipatodakena hāsessantī”ti …pe…“How could the monks from the group of six tickle a monk to make him laugh?” …1.6“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ aṅgulipatodakena hāsethā”ti?“Is it true, monks, that you did this?”

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

1.8Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.9kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, bhikkhuṁ aṅgulipatodakena hāsessatha.“Foolish men, how could you do this?1.10Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.11evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.12.0Final ruling

1.12.1“Aṅgulipatodake pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk tickles someone, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Aṅgulipatodako nāmaTickles someone:
2.1.2upasampanno upasampannaṁ hasādhippāyo kāyena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti pācittiyassa.if one who is fully ordained makes physical contact with another who is fully ordained, body to body, with the aim of making him laugh, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Upasampanne upasampannasaññī aṅgulipatodakena hāseti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the other person is fully ordained, and he perceives him as such, and he tickles him to make him laugh, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.2Upasampanne vematiko aṅgulipatodakena hāseti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the other person is fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, and he tickles him to make him laugh, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.3Upasampanne anupasampannasaññī aṅgulipatodakena hāseti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the other person is fully ordained, but he does not perceive him as such, and he tickles him to make him laugh, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.4Kāyena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, with his own body, he makes physical contact with something connected to the other monk’s body, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.5Kāyapaṭibaddhena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, with something connected to his own body, he makes physical contact with the other monk’s body, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.6Kāyapaṭibaddhena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, with something connected to his own body, he makes physical contact with something connected to the other monk’s body, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.7Nissaggiyena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with the other monk’s body, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.8Nissaggiyena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with something connected to the other monk’s body, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.9Nissaggiyena nissaggiyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with something released by the other monk, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.10Anupasampannaṁ kāyena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, with his own body, he makes physical contact with the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.11Kāyena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, with his own body, he makes physical contact with something connected to the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.12Kāyapaṭibaddhena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, with something connected to his own body, he makes physical contact with the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.13Kāyapaṭibaddhena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, with something connected to his own body, he makes physical contact with something connected to the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.14Nissaggiyena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.15Nissaggiyena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with something connected to the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.16Nissaggiyena nissaggiyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with something released by someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.17Anupasampanne upasampannasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, but he perceives them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.18Anupasampanne vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.19Anupasampanne anupasampannasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, and he does not perceive them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2na hasādhippāyo,if he is not aiming to make him laugh; 2.3.3sati karaṇīye āmasati,if he makes physical contact with him when there is a need; 2.3.4ummattakassa,if he is insane; 2.3.5ādikammikassāti.if he is the first offender.

2.3.6Aṅgulipatodakasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.The training rule on tickling, the second, is finished.