One of the important rules of Vinaya,
for Buddhist monks as well as nuns, is the prohibition of a monk to
be alone with women, and a nun to be alone with men. This is not
just a rule for strict monks and nuns, but a rule which the Buddha
made obligatory for all monks and nuns. Since this is a rule which
often comes up, I will explain it at length in this Vinaya
article.
In the introduction to one of the rules ("Aniyata"
1) found in the Vinayapitaka, there occurs the following
story:
"At one time the Enlightened One, the Lord,
was staying at Savatthi in Anathapindika's Park, in the Jeta Grove.
Then the Venerable Udayin approached this girl (a newly married
daughter of one of Ven Udayin's supporters) and having approached
her, he sat down together with that girl, one man and one woman, in
a secret place on a secluded, convenient seat, conversing at the
right time, speaking Dhamma. at the right time ... Visakha (the
famous lay woman disciple) saw the Venerable Udayin sitting together
with that girl, one man and one woman, in a secret place on a
secluded convenient seat. Seeing this, she said to the Venerable
Udayin: "This is not proper, honoured sir, it is not suitable, that
the master should sit together with womenfolk, one man and one
woman, in a secret place on a secluded, convenient seat. Although
the master has no desire for that thing (sexual intercourse),
unbelieving people are difficult to convince." The Venerable Udayin
took no heed of Visakha..... Visakha told this matter to the monks
... The monks became vexed, annoyed and angry and told the matter to
the Lord ... The Lord rebuked Ven. Udayin: "How can you, foolish
man, sit together with womenfolk, one man and one woman, in a secret
place on a secluded, convenient seat?
..."(The Lord Buddha then laid down a rule
explaining...)
'A secret place' means secret from the eye,
secret from the ear. Secret from the eye means if (the monk)
covering his eye, raising his eyebrow, raising his head, he (the
onlooker) is unable to see (the monk). Secret from the ear means he
(the onlooker) is unable to hear ordinary speech. 'A secluded seat'
means it is secluded by a wall, or by a door, or by a screen, or by
a screen wall or by a tree or by a pillar or by a sack or it is
concealed by anything whatsoever. 'Convenient' means it is possible
to indulge in sexual intercourse."
(from the Pali Text Society's
Book of the Discipline, Vol l, p 330ff)
The following rule, "Aniyata" 2, is
similar to the first, which I have just described, with the only
change being that this time Venerable Udayin sat down with that same
girl, just the two of them, in a secret place (secret from the eye,
secret from the ear), that was not a secluded place (by a wall etc)
nor a convenient place (for sexual intercourse). Again when Visakha
spotted Venerable Udayin and the girl alone together, she rebuked
the monk:
"This, honoured sir, is not right, it is not
suitable for the master to sit together with womenfolk, one man and
one woman, in a secret place. Although, honoured sir, the master has
no desire for that thing (here referring to flirting), unbelieving
people are hard to convince."
Again Ven. Udayin took no heed of Visakha's
complaint, so she told the monks who told the Lord Buddha. The
Buddha then rebuked Ven. Udayin and condemned such behaviour by
establishing another rule for monks.
The above quotations, directly from the
Vinayapitaka, show the danger of a monk being alone with women,
especially inside a room, car or building. These rules were repeated
in the nuns' Vinaya, prohibiting a nun being alone with men
for similar reasons. In today's society where allegations of sexual
abuse are rife, and are often just one person's word against
another's, keeping these important rules is more than just a
protection from the opportunity for abuse, but also a guard against
the suspicions spread by the malicious. Suspicions, even when
untrue, are so difficult to disprove. As the wise laywoman Visakha
said "Even if the Venerable monk or nun has no desire for
that thing, unbelieving people are hard to convince".
Knowing this rule now, may we help all Buddhist
monks and nuns keep their precepts well and thus help prevent
allegations that are damaging to all. Please avoid being alone with
a monk if you are a woman and if you are a man, avoid being alone
with a nun. Thank you.
Ajahn Brahmavamso
(From: Newsletter, July-October 1997,
The Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Perth, Australia)