Soon afterwards some monks ate fine foods, fell asleep absentminded and heedless, and emitted semen while dreaming. They became anxious, thinking, “The Buddha has laid down a training rule that intentional emission of semen is an offense entailing suspension. We had an emission while dreaming, which is not without intention. Could it be that we’ve committed an offense entailing suspension?” They told the Buddha. “It’s true, monks, that a dream is not without intention, but it’s negligible. And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

Final ruling ‘Intentional emission of semen, except while dreaming, is an offense entailing suspension.’”

Definitions Intentional: knowing, perceiving, having intended, having decided, he transgresses. Semen: there are ten kinds of semen: blue, yellow, red, white, the color of buttermilk, the color of water, the color of oil, the color of milk, the color of curd, the color of ghee. Emission: making it move from its base—this is what is meant by “emission”. Except while dreaming: apart from that which occurs while dreaming. An offense entailing suspension: only the Sangha gives probation for that offense, sends back to the beginning, gives the trial period, and rehabilitates—not several monks, not an individual. Therefore it is called an offense entailing suspension. This is the name and designation of this class of offense. Therefore, too, it is called an offense entailing suspension.

Permutations Permutations part 1 Summary