[20] Then the Blessed One, on that ground, on that occasion, having had the Saṅgha of bhikkhus convened, questioned the Venerable Sudinna: "Is it true, Sudinna, as they say, that you engaged in sexual intercourse (methuna dhamma) with your former wife (purāṇadutiyikā)?"
"It is true, Blessed One."
The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked him: "Foolish man (moghapurisa), it is unfitting, unbecoming, unsuitable, unworthy of an ascetic, not allowable, not to be done. How could you, foolish man, having gone forth in a Dhamma and Discipline so well proclaimed, be incapable of living the holy life complete and pure for as long as life lasts? Has not the Dhamma been taught by me in many ways, foolish man, for dispassion, not for passion; has not the Dhamma been taught for detachment, not for bondage; has not the Dhamma been taught for non-clinging, not for clinging? While the Dhamma has been taught by me for dispassion, you, foolish man, will there intend toward passion; while the Dhamma has been taught for detachment, you will intend toward bondage; while the Dhamma has been taught for non-clinging, you will intend toward clinging!
"Has not the Dhamma been taught by me in many ways, foolish man, for the fading away of lust; has not the Dhamma been taught for the sobering of intoxication, for the removal of thirst, for the uprooting of attachment, for the cutting off of the round, for the destruction of craving (taṇhā), for dispassion, for cessation (nirodha), for Nibbāna? Has not the abandoning of sensual pleasures been declared by me in many ways, foolish man; has not the full understanding of sensual perceptions been declared, the removal of thirst for sensual pleasures declared, the uprooting of sensual thoughts declared, the stilling of sensual fevers declared?
"It would be better for you, foolish man, that your member be placed in the mouth of a venomous serpent of fierce venom than that your member be placed in the organ of a woman. It would be better for you, foolish man, that your member be placed in the mouth of a black snake than that your member be placed in the organ of a woman. It would be better for you, foolish man, that your member be placed in a pit of charcoal, burning, blazing, glowing, than that your member be placed in the organ of a woman. For what reason? On that account, foolish man, one might incur death or deadly suffering (dukkha), but not on that account, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would one arise in a state of loss, a bad destination, the abyss, hell; whereas on this account, foolish man, with the breaking up of the body, after death, one would arise in a state of loss, a bad destination, the abyss, hell. And therein, foolish man, you will engage in what is not the true Dhamma, the practice of villagers, the practice of the vile, that which is coarse, ending with water, done in secret, the coming together of a pair, two by two! You, foolish man, are the first doer, the forerunner, of many unwholesome states. This, foolish man, is not for the confidence of those without confidence, nor for the increase of those who have confidence; rather, foolish man, it is for the lack of confidence of those without confidence, and for the vacillation of some who have confidence."
Then the Blessed One, having rebuked the Venerable Sudinna in many ways, having spoken in dispraise of being difficult to support, of being difficult to maintain, of great desires, of discontent, of entanglement in company, and of indolence; having spoken in many ways in praise of being easy to support, of being easy to maintain, of fewness of wishes, of contentment, of effacement, of the ascetic practice, of what inspires confidence, of non-accumulation, and of the arousing of energy (vīriya); and having given the bhikkhus a talk on the Dhamma fitting and appropriate to that matter, addressed the bhikkhus:
"Well then, bhikkhus, I shall lay down a training rule for bhikkhus, in dependence on ten grounds of benefit: for the excellence of the Saṅgha, for the comfort of the Saṅgha, for the restraint of ill-behaved persons, for the comfortable dwelling of well-conducted bhikkhus, for the restraint of taints (āsava) pertaining to the present life, for the warding off of taints pertaining to future lives, for the confidence of those without confidence, for the increase of those who have confidence, for the endurance of the true Dhamma, and for the fostering of the Discipline. And thus, bhikkhus, you should recite this training rule:
"Whatever bhikkhu should engage in sexual intercourse is pārājika, not in communion."
And thus this training rule was laid down by the Blessed One for the bhikkhus.
The Recitation Section on Sudinna (Sudinnabhāṇavāra) is concluded.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.