Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law

The Great Analysis

The chapter on offenses entailing confession

The subchapter on lying

5. The training rule on the same sleeping place

Origin story

First sub-story

At one time the Buddha was staying at Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava Shrine.

At that time the lay followers were coming to the monastery to listen to the Teaching.

When the instruction was over, the senior monks went to their own dwellings,

but the newly ordained monks lay down right there in the assembly hall together with the lay followers—absentminded, heedless, naked, muttering, and snoring.

The lay followers complained and criticized them,

“How can the venerables lie down absentminded, heedless, naked, muttering, and snoring?”

The monks heard the complaints of those lay followers,

and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks,

“How can monks lie down in the same sleeping place as people who are not fully ordained?”

After rebuking those newly ordained monks in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks:

“Is it true, monks, that monks did this?”

“It’s true, sir.”

The Buddha rebuked them …

“How could those foolish men do this?

This will affect people’s confidence …” …

“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

Preliminary ruling

‘If a monk lies down in the same sleeping place as a person who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks.

Second sub-story

After staying at Āḷavī for as long as he wanted, the Buddha set out wandering toward Kosambī.

When he eventually arrived, he stayed at the Badarikā Monastery.

Just then the monks there said to Venerable Rāhula,

“Rāhula, the Buddha has laid down a training rule that we can’t lie down in the same sleeping place as a person who’s not fully ordained.

Please find another sleeping place.”

Since Rāhula was not able to find a sleeping place, he lay down in the restroom.

Then, after rising early in the morning, the Buddha went to the restroom where he cleared his throat.

Rāhula, too, cleared his throat.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me, sir, Rāhula.”

“Why are you sitting here, Rāhula?”

Rāhula told the Buddha what had happened.

Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

“Monks, I allow you to lie down in the same sleeping place as a person who isn’t fully ordained for two or three nights.

And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

Final ruling

‘If a monk lies down more than two or three nights in the same sleeping place as a person who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Definitions

A:

whoever …

Monk:

… 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.

A person who is not fully ordained:

anyone except a fully ordained monk.

More than two or three nights:

in excess of two or three nights.

Same:

together.

Sleeping place:

fully roofed, fully walled; mostly roofed, mostly walled.

Lies down in the same sleeping place:

at dawn on the fourth day: if he lies down when the person who is not fully ordained is already lying down, he commits an offense entailing confession;

if the person who is not fully ordained lies down when he is already lying down, he commits an offense entailing confession;

if they both lie down together, he commits an offense entailing confession;

every time they get up and then lie down again, he commits an offense entailing confession.

Permutations

If they are not fully ordained, and the monk does not perceive them as such, and he lies down more than two or three nights in the same sleeping place as them, he commits an offense entailing confession.

If they are not fully ordained, but the monk is unsure of it, and he lies down more than two or three nights in the same sleeping place as them, he commits an offense entailing confession.

If they are is not fully ordained, but the monk perceives them as such, and he lies down more than two or three nights in the same sleeping place as them, he commits an offense entailing confession.

If it is half-roofed and half-walled, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If they are fully ordained, but the monk does not perceive them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If they are fully ordained, but the monk is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If they are fully ordained, and the monk perceives them as such, there is no offense.

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

if he stays together with them for two or three nights;

if he stays together with them for less than two or three nights;

if, after staying together for two nights, he leaves before dawn on the third night and then stays together again;

if it is fully roofed, but not walled;

if it is fully walled, but not roofed;

if it is mostly not roofed;

if it is mostly not walled;

if the monk sits when the person who is not fully ordained is lying down;

if the person who is not fully ordained sits when the monk is lying down;

if they both sit;

if he is insane;

if he is the first offender.

The training rule on the same sleeping place, the fifth, is finished.