Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law

The Great Analysis

The chapter on offenses entailing confession

The subchapter on lying

6. The second training rule on the same sleeping place

Origin story

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,

Venerable Anuruddha was walking through the Kosalan country on his way to Sāvatthī, when one evening he arrived at a certain village.

Just then a woman in that village had prepared her guesthouse.

Anuruddha went to that woman and said, “If it’s not inconvenient for you, I’d like to stay in your guesthouse for one night.”

“Please stay, venerable.”

Other travelers also went to that woman and said, “Ma’am, if it’s not troublesome for you, we’d like to stay in your guesthouse for one night.”

“Sirs, a monastic is already staying there. If he agrees, you may stay.”

Those travelers then approached Anuruddha and said, “If you don’t mind, venerable, we’d like to stay one night in the guesthouse.”

“No problem.”

Now as soon as that woman had seen Anuruddha, she had fallen in love with him.

She now went to him and said, “Sir, you won’t be comfortable surrounded by these people.

Why don’t I prepare a bed for you in the main house?”

Anuruddha consented by remaining silent.

After preparing a bed in the main house, she put on jewelery and perfume, and she went to Anuruddha and said,

“You’re attractive, sir, and so am I.

Why don’t you take me as your wife?”

But Anuruddha remained silent.

She said the same thing a second time, but again got no response.

And a third time she said,

“You’re attractive, sir, and so am I.

Why don’t you take me and all this property?”

Once again Anuruddha remained silent.

She then threw off her wrap, and she walked back and forth, stood, sat down, and lay down in front of him.

But Anuruddha controlled his senses and neither looked at nor spoke to her.

Then that woman said, “It’s astonishing and amazing.

Many people pay a hundred or a thousand coins to be with me.

But this monastic doesn’t want me and all this property, even when I beg him!”

After dressing, she bowed down with her head at Anuruddha’s feet and said,

“Sir, I’ve made a mistake. I’ve been foolish, confused, and unskillful.

Please forgive me so that I may restrain myself in the future.”

“You have certainly made a mistake. You’ve been foolish, confused, and unskillful.

But since you acknowledge your mistake and make proper amends, I forgive you.

For this is called growth in the training of the noble ones: acknowledging a mistake, making proper amends, and undertaking restraint for the future.”

The following morning that woman personally served and satisfied Anuruddha with various kinds of fine foods. When he had finished his meal, she bowed and sat down to one side.

And Anuruddha instructed, inspired, and gladdened her with a teaching.

She then said to him,

“Wonderful, sir, wonderful!

Just as one might set upright what’s overturned, or reveal what’s hidden, or show the way to one who’s lost, or bring a lamp into the darkness so that one with eyes might see what is there—

just so has the Buddha made the Teaching clear in many ways.

I go for refuge to the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Sangha of monks.

Please accept me as a lay follower who’s gone for refuge for life.”

Soon afterwards, after arriving at Sāvatthī, Anuruddha told the monks what had happened.

The monks of few desires complained and criticized him,

“How can Venerable Anuruddha lie down in the same sleeping place as a woman?”

After rebuking him in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned Anuruddha:

“Is it true, Anuruddha, that you did this?”

“It’s true, sir.”

The Buddha rebuked him … “Anuruddha, how could you do this?

This will affect people’s confidence …” …

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

Final ruling

‘If a monk lies down in the same sleeping place as a woman, 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 woman:

a female human being, not a female spirit, not a female ghost, not a female animal; even a girl born on that very day, let alone an older one.

Same:

together.

Sleeping place:

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

Lies down in the same sleeping place:

when the sun has set—

if the monk lies down when the woman is already lying down, he commits an offense entailing confession;

if the woman lies down when the monk 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 it is a woman, and he perceives her as such, and he lies down in the same sleeping place as her, he commits an offense entailing confession.

If it is a woman, but he is unsure of it, and he lies down in the same sleeping place as her, he commits an offense entailing confession.

If it is a woman, but he does not perceive her as such, and he lies down in the same sleeping place as her, he commits an offense entailing confession.

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

If he lies down in the same sleeping place as a female spirit, a female ghost, a paṇḍaka, or a female animal, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If it is not a woman, but he perceives them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If it is not a woman, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If it is not a woman, and he does not perceive them as such, there is no offense.

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

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 woman is lying down;

if the woman sits when the monk is lying down;

if they both sit down together;

if he is insane;

if he is the first offender.

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