52. The training rule on tickling

The chapter on offenses entailing confession The subchapter on drinking alcohol

52. The training rule on tickling

Origin story

On one occasion when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, the monks from the group of six tickled one of the monks from the group of seventeen to make him laugh. Not being able to catch his breath, he died.

The monks of few desires complained and criticized them, “How could the monks from the group of six tickle a monk to make him laugh?” … “Is it true, monks, that you did this?”

“It’s true, sir.”

The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how could you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

Final ruling

‘If a monk tickles someone, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Definitions

Tickles someone: if one who is fully ordained makes physical contact with another who is fully ordained, body to body, with the aim of making him laugh, he commits an offense entailing confession.

Permutations

If the other person is fully ordained, and he perceives him as such, and he tickles him to make him laugh, he commits an offense entailing confession. If the other person is fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, and he tickles him to make him laugh, he commits an offense entailing confession. If the other person is fully ordained, but he does not perceive him as such, and he tickles him to make him laugh, he commits an offense entailing confession.

If, with his own body, he makes physical contact with something connected to the other monk’s body, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, with something connected to his own body, he makes physical contact with the other monk’s body, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, with something connected to his own body, he makes physical contact with something connected to the other monk’s body, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with the other monk’s body, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with something connected to the other monk’s body, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with something released by the other monk, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If, with his own body, he makes physical contact with the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, with his own body, he makes physical contact with something connected to the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, with something connected to his own body, he makes physical contact with the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, with something connected to his own body, he makes physical contact with something connected to the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with something connected to the body of someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If, by releasing something, he makes physical contact with something released by the someone who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If the other person is not fully ordained, but he perceives them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If the other person is not fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If the other person is not fully ordained, and he does not perceive them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if he is not aiming to make him laugh; if he makes physical contact with him when there is a need; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

The training rule on tickling, the second, is finished.

Pācittiyakaṇḍa Surāpānavagga

52. Aṅgulipatodakasikkhāpada

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū sattarasavaggiyaṁ bhikkhuṁ aṅgulipatodakena hāsesuṁ. So bhikkhu uttanto anassāsako kālamakāsi.

Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhikkhuṁ aṅgulipatodakena hāsessantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ aṅgulipatodakena hāsethā”ti?

“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.

Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, bhikkhuṁ aṅgulipatodakena hāsessatha. Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

“Aṅgulipatodake pācittiyan”ti.

Aṅgulipatodako nāma upasampanno upasampannaṁ hasādhippāyo kāyena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti pācittiyassa.

Upasampanne upasampannasaññī aṅgulipatodakena hāseti, āpatti pācittiyassa. Upasampanne vematiko aṅgulipatodakena hāseti, āpatti pācittiyassa. Upasampanne anupasampannasaññī aṅgulipatodakena hāseti, āpatti pācittiyassa.

Kāyena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Kāyapaṭibaddhena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Kāyapaṭibaddhena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

Nissaggiyena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Nissaggiyena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Nissaggiyena nissaggiyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

Anupasampannaṁ kāyena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Kāyena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Kāyapaṭibaddhena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Kāyapaṭibaddhena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

Nissaggiyena kāyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Nissaggiyena kāyapaṭibaddhaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Nissaggiyena nissaggiyaṁ āmasati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

Anupasampanne upasampannasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Anupasampanne vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Anupasampanne anupasampannasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

Anāpatti— na hasādhippāyo, sati karaṇīye āmasati, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

Aṅgulipatodakasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.