BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Buddhist Monastic Code 1invalid. What the Vibhaṅga's statement means is that there is no need to wait untildawnrise to count the period of lying down together. As we noted under thepreceding rule, there was a tendency in the time of the Canon to call a 24-hourperiod of day and night a "night," and for the purpose of these two rules, this periodapparently begins at sundown. The Commentary, switching to our current practiceof calling a 24-hour period a day, says, "In the preceding rule, the offense is on thefourth day. Here it is right from the first day."Thus, no matter what time of day or night a bhikkhu lies down in the same dwellingwith a woman, he immediately incurs a pācittiya.The purposes of this rule. Another difference between this rule and the precedingone is the obvious point that they have different purposes. As the origin story shows,this rule is to prevent situations that might tempt a bhikkhu to commit a seriousoffense, such as a Pr 1 or Sg 2."Then the woman, having herself prepared a bed inside (her house) for Ven.Anuruddha, having put on her jewelry and scented herself with perfumes, went tohim ... and said, 'Master, you are beautiful, good-looking, and appealing. I, too, ambeautiful, good-looking, and appealing. It would be good if I were to be your wife.'"When she said this, Ven. Anuruddha remained silent. So a second time... A thirdtime she said to him, 'Master, you are beautiful, good-looking, and appealing. I, too,am beautiful, good-looking, and appealing. It would be good if you would take metogether with all my wealth.'"A third time, Ven. Anuruddha remained silent. So the woman, having slipped off herclothing, paraded up and down in front of him, stood, sat down, and then lay downin front of him. But Ven. Anuruddha, keeping control of his faculties, didn't as muchas glance at her or say even a word."Then the thought occurred to her: 'Isn't it amazing! Isn't it astounding! Many mensend for me at a price of 100 or even 1,000 (a night), but this monk, even when Imyself beg him, doesn't want to take me together with all my wealth!' So, puttingher clothing back on and bowing her head at his feet, she said to him: 'Venerablesir, a transgression has overcome me in that I was so foolish, so muddle-headed,so unskillful as to act in such a way. Please accept this confession of mytransgression as such, for the sake of (my) restraint in the future.'"Ven. Anuruddha was very advanced in the practice and so was able to get throughthe situation with his mindfulness and precepts intact. Many a lesser bhikkhu,though, would have succumbed right from the woman's first request, and so theBuddha formulated this rule for his protection.This rule is also meant to prevent situations where suspicious people might think abhikkhu has committed a serious offense even when he hasn't. Like Caesar's wife, abhikkhu must not only be pure, he must look pure if he is to maintain his reputation.If a bhikkhu and a woman are seen going into a house together in the evening andleaving together the following morning, then even if they slept in separate rooms,248