English
The Section on Saṅghādisesa Offences The Training Rule on Emission of Semen Now, venerable sirs, these thirteen Saṅghādisesa Rules come up for recitation. 234. At that time, the Buddha, the Blessed One, Was staying in Sāvatthī, In Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. At that time, furthermore, the Venerable Seyyasaka Was discontented with the holy life. Because of that, he was thin, Rough, of bad complexion, Pale and yellowish, His body covered with veins. The Venerable Udāyī saw The Venerable Seyyasaka, Thin, rough, of bad complexion, Pale and yellowish, His body covered with veins. Having seen the Venerable Seyyasaka, He said to him: "Why, friend Seyyasaka, are you Thin, rough, of bad complexion, Pale and yellowish, Your body covered with veins? Are you not, friend Seyyasaka, Discontented with the holy life?" "Yes, friend." "Then, friend Seyyasaka, Eat as much as you like, Sleep as much as you like, Bathe as much as you like. Having eaten as much as you like, Having slept as much as you like, Having bathed as much as you like, When discontent arises in you, When lust assails your mind, Then, with your hand, Proceed to release the impurity." "Is it really, friend, Permissible to do such a thing?" "Yes, friend. I also do so." Then the Venerable Seyyasaka Ate as much as he liked, Slept as much as he liked, Bathed as much as he liked. Having eaten as much as he liked, Having slept as much as he liked, Having bathed as much as he liked, When discontent arose... Lust defiles the mind. Then with his hand approaching, he released impurity. Then indeed Venerable Seyyasaka, at a later time, was handsome, with plump faculties, with a serene countenance, with a very bright skin. Then indeed Venerable Seyyasaka's companion monks said this to Venerable Seyyasaka: "Formerly indeed you, friend Seyyasaka, were thin, gaunt, ill-complexioned, yellowish-pale, with a body covered in veins. But now you at present are handsome, with plump faculties, with a serene countenance, with a very bright skin. What then indeed do you, friend Seyyasaka, take as medicine?" "Not indeed I, friend, take medicine. But I eat as much as I want, sleep as much as I want, bathe as much as I want. Having eaten as much as I want, having slept as much as I want, having bathed as much as I want, when discontent arises in me, lust defiles the mind, then with my hand approaching, I release impurity." "What then you, friend Seyyasaka, with the very hand with which you eat offerings of faith, with that very hand approaching, do you release impurity?" "Yes, friend." Those monks who were of few desires... they complained, grumbled, criticized: "How indeed will Venerable Seyyasaka, with his hand approaching, release impurity!" Then those monks, having criticized Venerable Seyyasaka in many ways, reported this matter to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, on account of this cause, on account of this incident, ... Having assembled the Sangha, he questioned Venerable Seyyasaka: "Is it true, Seyyasaka, that you, by hand, approached and released impurity?" "It is true, Blessed One." The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked him: "This is unsuitable, foolish man, unfitting, improper, not like a recluse, unallowable, not to be done. How can you, foolish man, by hand approach and release impurity! Foolish man, have I not, in many ways, taught the Dhamma for dispassion, not for passion? Taught the Dhamma for disunion, not for union? Taught the Dhamma for non-clinging, not for clinging? And yet, foolish man, when I have taught the Dhamma for dispassion, you intend for passion! When I have taught the Dhamma for disunion, you intend for union! When I have taught the Dhamma for non-clinging, you intend for clinging! Foolish man, have I not, in many ways, taught the Dhamma for the fading of lust, for the subduing of pride, for the removal of thirst, for the uprooting of attachment, for the cutting off of the round (of rebirths), for the destruction of craving, for dispassion, for cessation, for Nibbana? Foolish man, have I not, in many ways, declared the abandoning of sensual pleasures, declared the full understanding of sensual perceptions, declared the removal of sensual thirsts, declared the uprooting of sensual thoughts, declared the calming of sensual fevers? This, foolish man, is not for the confidence of the unconfident, nor for the increase of confidence in the confident. But rather, foolish man, it is for the lack of confidence in the unconfident, and p and for the transformation of some who are near." Then indeed the Blessed One, having rebuked Venerable Seyyasaka in many ways for his difficult-to-support nature... "...and thus, monks, you should recite this training rule: "Intentional emission of semen: a Saṅghādisesa offence." Thus this training rule was laid down by the Blessed One for the bhikkhus. 235. Now at that time, bhikkhus, having eaten delicious food, entered into sleep with mindfulness forgotten and without full awareness. For them, as they entered into sleep with mindfulness forgotten and without full awareness, impure matter was emitted in a dream. They felt remorse: "The Blessed One has laid down a training rule: 'Intentional emission of semen: a Saṅghādisesa offence.' And for us, impure matter is emitted in a dream. Is there intention to be found here? Have we indeed incurred a Saṅghādisesa offence?" They reported this matter to the Blessed One. "There is, monks, such an intention; but it is not actionable. And thus, monks, you should recite this training rule: 236."Intentional emission of semen, except in a dream: a Saṅghādisesa offence." 237."Intentional" means knowing, perceiving, and having reflected, transgressing. "Semen" means ten kinds of semen: blue, yellow, red, white, buttermilk-colored, water-colored, oil-colored, milk-colored, curd-colored, ghee-colored. "Emission" means the expulsion from its place. "Except in a dream" means... Without a dream. Saṅghādisesa means only the Saṅgha gives probation for that offense, sends back to the beginning, gives penance, reinstates; not many, not one person. Therefore it is called "Saṅghādisesa." It is the naming, the designation, of that very class of offenses. Therefore it is also called "Saṅghādisesa." He discharges in internal form, he discharges in external form, he discharges in internal and external form, he discharges shaking the waist in the air; he discharges supported by lust, he discharges supported by feces, he discharges supported by urine, he discharges supported by wind, he discharges supported by the bite of a stinging insect; he discharges for health, he discharges for pleasure, he discharges for medicine, he discharges for a gift, he discharges for merit, he discharges for sacrifice, he discharges for heaven, he discharges for seed, he discharges for investigation, he discharges for burning; he discharges blue, he discharges yellow, he discharges red, he discharges white, he discharges whey-colored, he discharges water-colored, he discharges oil-colored, he discharges milk-colored, he discharges curd-colored, he discharges ghee-colored. 238. Ajjhattarūpa means in internally appropriated form. Bahiddhārūpa means externally, whether appropriated or unappropriated. Ajjhattabahiddhārūpa means both of those. "Shaking the waist in the air" means the sexual organ of one exerting oneself in the air becomes active. "Supported by lust" means the sexual organ of one afflicted by lust becomes active. "Supported by feces" means by feces The private parts of one who is pressed are not functional. Urine supports; the private parts of one pressed by urine are functional. Wind supports; the private parts of one pressed by wind are functional. A bite from an *uccāliṅga* insect supports; the private parts of one bitten by an *uccāliṅga* insect are functional. 239. For the sake of health, "I will be healthy." For the sake of happiness, "I will produce a pleasant feeling." For the sake of medicine, "It will be medicine." For the sake of giving, "I will give a gift." For the sake of merit, "It will be merit." For the sake of sacrifice, "I will offer a sacrifice." For the sake of heaven, "I will go to heaven." For the sake of seed, "It will be seed." For the sake of investigation, "It will be blue, it will be yellow, it will be red, it will be white, it will be the color of buttermilk, it will be the color of water, it will be the color of oil, it will be the color of milk, it will be the color of curds, it will be the color of ghee." For the sake of sport, "The intention is play." 240. He intends with his own body, he attempts, he emits, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. He intends with an external body, he attempts, he emits, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. He intends with his own and an external body, he attempts, he emits, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. Shaking his waist in the air, he intends, he attempts, he emits, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. With the support of lust, he intends, he attempts, he emits, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. With the support of feces, he intends, he attempts, he emits, An offense of Saṅghādisesa. When urine is blocked, he intends, endeavors, releases, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. When wind is blocked, he intends, endeavors, releases, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. When bitten by scorpion or centipede, he intends, endeavors, releases, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. For health, he intends, endeavors, releases, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. For happiness... and so on... for medicine... for giving... for merit... for sacrifice... for heaven... for progeny... for investigation... for sport, he intends, endeavors, releases, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. For blue, he intends, endeavors, releases, an offense of Saṅghādisesa. For yellow... red... white... whey-colored... water-colored... oil-colored... milk-colored... curd-colored... ghee-colored, he intends, endeavors, releases, an offense of Saṅghādisesa.