Pācittiya 5: The Training Rule on Washing the Genital Area.
- Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Brahmali. (More copyright information)
Origin story
1At one time when the Buddha was staying in the Sakyan country in the Banyan Tree Monastery at Kapilavatthu, Mahāpajāpati Gotamī went to him and bowed. Standing downwind from him, she said, “Venerable Sir, women smell.”
“Well then, the nuns should clean themselves with water.” And the Buddha instructed, inspired, and gladdened her with a teaching, after which she bowed down, circumambulated him with her right side toward him, and left. Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “Monks, I allow the nuns to clean themselves with water.”
Being aware that the Buddha had allowed cleaning with water, a nun did it too deeply, causing a sore in her vagina.
2She told the nuns what had happened. The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How could a nun clean herself too deeply with water?” … “Is it true, monks, that a nun did this?”
“It’s true, Sir.”
The Buddha rebuked her, “How could a nun clean herself too deeply with water? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
3‘If a nun is cleaning herself with water, she may insert two finger joints at the most. If she goes further than that, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”
Definitions
4Is cleaning herself with water: rinsing the vagina is what is meant.
5Cleaning: rinses.
6She may insert two finger joints at the most: she may insert two joints of two fingers at the most.
7If she goes further than that: if she consents to the contact and goes further even by a hair’s breadth, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Permutations
8If it is more than two finger joints, and she perceives it as more, and she inserts them, she commits an offense entailing confession. If it is more than two finger joints, but she is unsure of it, and she inserts them, she commits an offense entailing confession. If it is more than two finger joints, but she perceives it as less, and she inserts them, she commits an offense entailing confession.
9If it is less than two finger joints, but she perceives it as more, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than two finger joints, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than two finger joints, and she perceives it as less, there is no offense.
Non-offenses
10There is no offense: if she inserts two finger joints; if she inserts less than two finger joints; if she does it because she is sick; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
The fifth training rule is finished.
1p_2V_2599, msdiv810Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme. Atha kho mahāpajāpati gotamī yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā adhovāte aṭṭhāsi—“duggandho, bhagavā, mātugāmo”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā—“ādiyantu kho bhikkhuniyo udakasuddhikan”ti, mahāpajāpatiṁ gotamiṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi. Atha kho mahāpajāpati gotamī bhagavatā dhammiyā kathāya sandassitā samādapitā samuttejitā sampahaṁsitā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi: “Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, bhikkhunīnaṁ udakasuddhikan”ti.
Tena kho pana samayena aññatarā bhikkhunī—“bhagavatā udakasuddhikā anuññātā”ti atigambhīraṁ udakasuddhikaṁ ādiyantī muttakaraṇe vaṇaṁ akāsi.
2p_2V_2600Atha kho sā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ āroceti. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā … pe … tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: “Kathañhi nāma bhikkhunī atigambhīraṁ udakasuddhikaṁ ādiyissatī”ti … pe …
“Saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī atigambhīraṁ udakasuddhikaṁ ādiyatī”ti?
“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī atigambhīraṁ udakasuddhikaṁ ādiyissati. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
3p_2V_2601, msdiv811“Udakasuddhikaṁ pana bhikkhuniyā ādiyamānāya dvaṅgulapabbaparamaṁ ādātabbaṁ. Taṁ atikkāmentiyā pācittiyan”ti.
4p_2V_2602, msdiv812Udakasuddhikaṁ nāma muttakaraṇassa dhovanā vuccati.
5p_2V_2603Ādiyamānāyā'ti dhovantiyā.
6p_2V_2604Dvaṅgulapabbaparamaṁ ādātabban'ti dvīsu aṅgulesu dve pabbaparamā ādātabbā.
7p_2V_2605Taṁ atikkāmentiyā'ti samphassaṁ sādiyantī antamaso kesaggamattampi atikkāmeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.
8p_2V_2606, msdiv813Atirekadvaṅgulapabbe atirekasaññā ādiyati, āpatti pācittiyassa. Atirekadvaṅgulapabbe vematikā ādiyati, āpatti pācittiyassa. Atirekadvaṅgulapabbe ūnakasaññā ādiyati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
9p_2V_2607Ūnakadvaṅgulapabbe atirekasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ūnakadvaṅgulapabbe vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ūnakadvaṅgulapabbe ūnakasaññā, anāpatti.
10p_2V_2608, msdiv814Anāpatti—dvaṅgulapabbaparamaṁ ādiyati, ūnakadvaṅgulapabbaparamaṁ ādiyati, ābādhapaccayā, ummattikāya, ādikammikāyāti.