BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Buddhist Monastic Code IChapter 4PārājikaPārājikaThis term, according to the Parivāra, derives from a verb meaning to lose or bedefeated. A bhikkhu who commits any of the four following offenses hassurrendered to his own mental defilements to such an extent that he defeats thepurpose of his having become a bhikkhu in the first place. The irrevocable nature ofthis defeat is illustrated in the Vibhaṅga with a number of similes: "as a man with hishead cut off... as a withered leaf freed from its stem... as a flat stone that has beenbroken in half cannot be put together again... as a palmyra tree cut off at the crownis incapable of further growth." A bhikkhu who commits any of these offensessevers himself irrevocably from the life of the Saṅgha and is no longer considered abhikkhu.1. Should any bhikkhu — participating in the training and livelihoodof the bhikkhus, without having renounced the training, without havingdeclared his weakness — engage in sexual intercourse, even with afemale animal, he is defeated and no longer in affiliation.As we noted in Chapter One, the first formulation of this rule followed on Ven.Sudinna's having had sex with one of his former wives. His motives, by worldlystandards, were relatively noble: He was complying with his parents' desire that heprovide them with an heir. However, in the incident leading to the secondformulation of this rule — in which the Buddha added the phrase "even with afemale animal" — the instigator's motives were considerably less so."Now at that time, a certain bhikkhu living in the Great Wood at Vesālī, havingbefriended a monkey with food (§), engaged in sexual intercourse with it. Then,dressing (§) early in the morning and carrying his bowl and outer robe, the bhikkhuwent into Vesālī for alms. A number of bhikkhus wandering on a tour of the lodgings,went to the bhikkhu's dwelling. The monkey saw them coming from afar and, onseeing them, went up to them and wiggled its rear and wiggled its tail and offeredits rear and made a sign (§). The thought occurred to the bhikkhus, 'Undoubtedlythis bhikkhu is engaging in sexual intercourse with this monkey.' So they hid off toone side."Then the bhikkhu, having gone for alms in Vesālī, returned bringing almsfood. Themonkey went up to him. The bhikkhu, having eaten a portion of the almsfood, gavea portion to the monkey. The monkey, having eaten the almsfood, offered its rear tothe bhikkhu, and the bhikkhu engaged in sexual intercourse with it (§).21