Origin story

At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time Venerable Upananda the Sakyan went to the house of a friend and sat down with his wife in their bedroom. The husband approached Upananda, bowed down to him, and sat down to one side. He then said to his wife, “Please get him alms.” And she did so.

Soon afterwards he said, “Please leave, Venerable; the alms have been given.”

But the woman, knowing that her husband was lustful, said, “Please sit, Venerable; don’t go.”

A second time and a third time he repeated his request, and both times his wife repeated hers.

He then left the house and complained to the other monks, “Venerables, Venerable Upananda is seated with my wife in our bedroom. When I ask him to leave, he doesn’t want to go. Yet we are very busy.”

The monks of few desires … complained and criticized Upananda, “How can Venerable Upananda sit down intruding on a lustful couple?” … “Is it true, Upananda, that you did this?”

“It’s true, Master.”

The Buddha rebuked him, “… Foolish man, how can you sit down intruding on a lustful couple? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

Final ruling

‘If a monk sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Definitions

A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who has been given the full ordination by a complete Order through a procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is unchallengeable and fit to stand— this sort of monk is meant in this case.

A lustful couple: there is both a woman and a man. The woman and the man have not both left, and both are not without sensual desire.

Intruding on: enters after.

Sits down: in a large house, if he sits down more than one arm’s reach beyond the door frame, he commits an offense entailing confession. In a small house, if he sits down after going beyond the ridge beam, he commits an offense entailing confession.

Permutations

If it is a bedroom, and he perceives it as a bedroom, and he sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession. If it is a bedroom, but he is unsure if it is, and he sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession. If it is a bedroom, but he does not perceive it as a bedroom, and he sits down intruding on a lustful couple, he commits an offense entailing confession.

If it is not a bedroom, but he perceives it as a bedroom, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not a bedroom, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not a bedroom, and he does not perceives it as a bedroom, there is no offense.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if, in a large house, he sits down, but not beyond one arm’s reach of the door frame; if, in a small house, he sits down, but not beyond the ridge beam; if he has a monk as a companion; if both have left; if both are without sensual desire; if it is not a bedroom; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

The third rule, the training rule on lustful, is finished.