BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Buddhist Monastic Code 1Object. A bhikkhu is grounds for a pācittiya here; any unordained person, groundsfor a dukkaṭa. The Vibhaṅga does not say whether unordained here includesbhikkhunīs. The Commentary states explicitly that it does, adding that a bhikkhulooking for a little fun can tickle a bhikkhunī without incurring a penalty stronger thana dukkaṭa. There are occasional attempts at humor in the Commentary, and we canprobably write this off as one of them.Perception as to whether the person being tickled is ordained is irrelevant to theoffense (see Pc 42).Effort. This factor is fulfilled only by body-to-body contact, as defined at lengthunder Sg 2. The following actions, if done with the intent of making the other personlaugh, would be grounds for a dukkaṭa here regardless of whether the person wasordained or not:using an item connected with the body — such as a stick — to poke at theperson;touching an item connected with the other person's body;tossing or dropping things on the other person.Intention. If one has legitimate motives for touching the other person aside from adesire for fun, there is no penalty in doing so. Thus a bhikkhu massaging anotherbhikkhu's tired back commits no offense if he inadvertently happens to touch a spotwhere the other bhikkhu is ticklish. However, touching another bhikkhu in angerwould come under Pc 74.Summary: Tickling another bhikkhu is a pācittiya offense.53. The act of playing in the water is to be confessed.Here again, the factors for the full offense are three.2) Effort: One jumps up or down, splashes, or swims2) Object: in water deep enough to immerse one's ankle3) Intention: for fun.Effort. According to the Commentary, each individual effort counts as a separateoffense. Thus if one is swimming for fun, one incurs a pācittiya for each hand orfoot stroke.Perception as to whether one's actions count as "playing in the water" is not amitigating factor here (see Pc 4).Object. Jumping up or down in water less than ankle deep entails a dukkaṭa, asdoes splashing water with the hands, feet, a stick, or a piece of tile; or playing withwater or other liquids — such as rice gruel, milk, buttermilk, colored dyes, urine, ormud — in a vessel.360