Women 2
- Ay 1, sitting privately with a woman
- Ay 2, sitting out of earshot with a woman
- Bhikkhunīs, summary of related rules: NP 4-5, NP 17, Pc 21-30, Pd 1-2.
Ay 1, sitting privately with a woman
The aniyata (indefinite) rules highlight two difficult situations and require the community to examine them, instead of assigning a definite offense.
Origin: Lady Visākhā sees the Ven. Udāyin sitting at a concealed place with a girl who is newly married.
'It is unfitting, venerable sir, and improper, for the master to sit in private, alone with a woman [...] Even though the master may not be aiming at that act, cynical people are hard to convince.'
A woman here means a female human being, 'even one born that very day, all the more an older one.'
Sitting: The situation includes lying down.
Private: Private to the eye and ear, and concealed. No one else can see their facial expressions or hear what they say.
A secluded seat: concealed behind a wall, a closed door, a large bush. Sufficient cover for sexual activity.
This is already an offense under Pc 44 (secluded seat), but this rule also covers the heavier offenses.
The bhikkhu community should investigate, hearing out the relevant individuals, and deciding on imposing the penalty or not.
They may deal with the bhikkhu only in terms of what he admits having done. They may cross-question him as a group, until they are satisfied that he is telling the truth.
The decision must be unanimous, and the bhikkhu in question must accept that his action was an offense. Otherwise the case has to be left unsettled.
Ay 2, sitting out of earshot with a woman
Origin: Lady Visākhā sees the Ven. Udāyin sitting again with that girl, private to the eye and ear but this time not concealed.
A woman here means one who can recognize lewd remarks.
Bhikkhunīs
NP 4: Having an unrelated bhikkhunī wash, dye, or beat a used robe.
NP 17: Same with wool. The group of six are harassing the bhikkhunīs.
NP 5: Accepting robe-cloth from an unrelated bhikkhunī by hand, without giving anything in exchange.
Pc 21: Unauthorized exhortation to bhikkhunīs.
Pc 22: Authorized exhortation, but after sunset.
Pc 23: Exhortation at the bhikkhunīs' quarters.
Pc 24: Accusing to exhort bhikkhunīs for worldly gain.
Pc 25: Giving robe-cloth to an unrelated bhikkhunī without exchange.
Pc 26: Sewing robe-cloth for an unrelated bhikkhunī.
Pc 27: Travelling by arrangement with a bhikkhunī.
Pc 28: A boat trip by arrangement with a bhikkhunī.
Pc 29: Eating alms-food prompted by a bhikkhunī to be given.
Pc 30: Sitting in private and alone with a bhikkhunī.
Pd 1: Receiving and eating alms-food from an unrelated bhikkhunī in a village.
Pd 2: Letting a bhikkhunī standing where the bhikkhus are eating, as though giving instructions on which bhikkhu should receive what.
NOTE: A bhikkhu and a sīladhārā should not give personal gifts to one another, or use a messenger to send the gift, even if it is in exchange. The bhikkhu community as a whole may decide to offer items to a sīladhārā, or the sīladhārā community as a whole may decide to offer items to a bhikkhu.