Offense of Sexual Misconduct During the Eight Precepts Observance Period

The Original Text of the Five Precepts for Upasakas, Section Three: If an upasaka personally receives the Eight Precepts and then commits sexual intercourse, he commits an unpardonable offense. Under the Eight Precepts, there is no distinction between proper and improper [sexual relations]; all acts constitute an offense. Even if an upasaka has not received any precepts, if he violates a pure precept holder who is a disciple of the Buddha, although he does not incur the sin of breaking precepts, he will forever be unable to receive the Five Precepts thereafter, let alone leave home to receive full ordination.

Explanation: If an upasaka personally receives the Eight Precepts of Observance (Uposatha) before the Buddha and commits sexual intercourse during this period, regardless of who the other party is—even if it is his own wife—he commits an unpardonable offense. This is because during the observance of the Eight Precepts, all sexual desire is prohibited. Whether it is proper intercourse with one’s wife or improper intercourse with others, any act of sexual intercourse constitutes an unpardonable offense. Even if an upasaka has not received any precepts, if he violates a pure precept holder, although he does not incur the sin of breaking precepts, he will forever be unable to receive the Five Precepts in the future and cannot receive the full ordination precepts for leaving home.

 Original Text: The Buddha told the bhikkhus, “I have two bodies: the physical body and the precept body (dharma body of precepts). If a virtuous man builds a seven-jeweled stupa for my physical body, reaching as high as the Brahma Heaven, and someone damages it, that sin can still be repented. But if someone damages my precept body (the precepts established by the Tathagata), that sin is immeasurable, and the retribution suffered will be like that of Elapatra, the Dragon King.”

Explanation: The Buddha told the bhikkhus, “I have two bodies: one is the physical body, and the other is the precept body. If a virtuous man builds a seven-jeweled stupa for my physical body, reaching the height of the Brahma Heaven, and someone damages that stupa, the sin can still be repented and eradicated. However, if someone damages my precept body (the precepts established by the Tathagata), that sin is boundless and immeasurable, and the retribution suffered will be like that endured by Elapatra, the Dragon King.”

What does it mean to damage the Buddha’s precept body? It means to violate the precepts established by the Buddha, to break the Buddha’s precepts, to damage the Tathagata, and to feel ashamed before the Tathagata. Such an offense is immeasurable and boundless, like the retribution suffered by Elapatra, the Dragon King. Elapatra Naga Raja had seven heads, and an Ela tree grew from each head. Why did the Ela trees grow? In a past life, Elapatra was a bhikkhu who, out of anger, intentionally damaged the leaves of an Ela tree. As a result, he fell into the body of a dragon for many kalpas, with an Ela tree growing from his head, enduring the agony of pus and blood flowing together and maggots gnawing at him. Fortunately, upon hearing the Buddha’s teaching, he came to understand karma, practiced patience and repentance, but this karmic retribution would persist until the advent of Maitreya Buddha before he could be liberated. Therefore, after learning the Buddha’s teachings, one should no longer follow afflictions, for following afflictions is to damage the Tathagata’s precept body, and that sin is immeasurable and boundless.