Bathing naked (PLI-TV-BI-VB-PC21)

Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law

The Nuns’ Analysis

The chapter on offenses entailing confession

The subchapter on nakedness

Bathing naked

Origin story

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

a number of nuns were bathing naked at a ford in the river Aciravatī together with sex workers.

The sex workers teased them,

“Venerables, why practice the spiritual life when you’re still young? Why not enjoy worldly pleasures?

You can practice the spiritual life when you’re old.

In this way you’ll get the benefits of both.”

The nuns felt humiliated.

They then went to the nunnery and told the nuns what had happened.

The nuns told the monks,

who in turn told the Buddha.

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

“Well then, monks, I will lay down a training rule for the nuns for the following ten reasons:

for the well-being of the Sangha …

for supporting the training.

And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

Final ruling

‘If a nun bathes naked, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”¹

Definitions

A:

whoever …

Nun:

… The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case.

Bathes naked:

if she bathes without wearing a sarong or an upper robe, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct.

At the end of the bath, she commits an offense entailing confession.

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

if her robes have been stolen or lost;

if there is an emergency;

if she is insane;

if she is the first offender.

The first training rule is finished.