Intruding on a lustful couple (PLI-TV-BU-VB-PC43)

Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law

The Great Analysis

The chapter on offenses entailing confession

The subchapter on naked ascetics

Intruding on a lustful couple

Origin story

On one occasion when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,

Venerable Upananda the Sakyan went to the house of a friend and sat down with his wife in their bedroom.

The husband approached Upananda, bowed, and sat down.

He then said to his wife, “Please give him alms.”

And she did so.

Soon afterwards he said, “Please leave, sir, the alms have been given.”

But the woman, knowing that her husband was lustful, said, “Please sit, sir, don’t go.”

A second time and

a third time he repeated his request,

and both times his wife repeated hers.

He then left the house and complained to the monks,

“Venerables, Venerable Upananda is seated with my wife in our bedroom.

When I ask him to leave because we’re busy, he doesn’t want to go.”

The monks of few desires complained and criticized Upananda,

“How could Venerable Upananda sit down intruding on a lustful couple?” …

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

“It’s true, sir.”

The Buddha rebuked him …

“Foolish man, 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 sits down intruding on a lustful couple, 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 lustful couple:

both a woman and a man are present. The woman and the man have not both left, and both are not without lust.

Intruding on:

enters after.

Sits down:

in a large house, if he sits down more than one arm’s reach inside the door frame, he commits an offense entailing confession.

In a small house, if he sits down beyond the ridge beam, he commits an offense entailing confession.¹

Permutations

If it is a bedroom, and he perceives it as such, and he sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession.²

If it is a bedroom, but he is unsure of it, and he sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession.

If it is a bedroom, but he does not perceive it as such, and he sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession.

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

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

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

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

if, in a large house, he sits down, but not more than one arm’s reach inside the door frame;

if, in a small house, he sits down, but not beyond the ridge beam;

if he has a companion monk;

if both have left;

if both are without lust;

if it is not a bedroom;

if he is insane;

if he is the first offender.

The training rule on intruding on a lustful couple, the third, is finished.