Offense of Sexual Misconduct During the Eight Precepts Observance Period

The Original Text of Section Three of the Upāsaka Five Precepts Sūtra: If an upāsaka personally receives the eight precepts and engages in sexual intercourse, he commits an unpardonable offense. Under the eight precepts, there is no distinction between proper and improper; all sexual acts are offenses. If an upāsaka, though not having received any precepts, violates a pure precept-holder who is a disciple of the Buddha, though he does not incur the sin of breaking precepts, he will forever be unable to receive the five precepts thereafter, or even to leave home and receive the full precepts.

Explanation: If an upāsaka personally receives the eight precepts of fasting before the Buddha and engages in sexual intercourse during that period, regardless of who the other party is—even his own wife—he commits an unpardonable offense. This is because during the period of the eight precepts of fasting, no sexual desire whatsoever is permitted. Whether it is proper intercourse with one's wife or improper intercourse with others, any act of sexual intercourse constitutes an unpardonable offense. Although an upāsaka may not have received any precepts, if he violates a pure precept-holder, he does not incur the sin of breaking precepts, but he will forever be unable to receive the five precepts afterward and cannot receive the full monastic precepts either.

 Original Text: The Buddha told the bhikkhus, “I have two bodies: the birth body and the precept body. If a virtuous man were to erect a seven-jeweled stūpa reaching up to the Brahma Heaven for my birth body, and if someone were to damage it, that sin could still be repented. But if someone damages my precept body, that sin is immeasurable, and the retribution suffered would be like that of Elapatra Nāga Rāja.”

Explanation: The Buddha told the bhikkhus, “I have two bodies: one is the birth body, and the other is the precept body. If a virtuous man were to erect a seven-jeweled stūpa for my birth body (physical body), reaching the height of the Brahma Heaven, and if someone were to damage that stūpa, this sin could still be repented and eradicated. However, if a person damages my precept body (the precepts established by the Tathāgata), that sin is immeasurable and boundless, and the retribution suffered would be like that endured by Elapatra Nāga Rāja.”

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 Tathāgata, and to feel shame toward the Tathāgata. Such a sin is immeasurable and boundless, like the retribution suffered by Elapatra Nāga Rāja. Elapatra Nāga Rāja had seven heads, and on each head grew an Ela tree. Why did Ela trees grow? In a past life, Elapatraraja Naga had been a bhikkhu who, out of anger, intentionally damaged Ela tree leaves. For many kalpas, he fell into the body of a naga, with an Ela tree growing on his head, suffering the agony of pus and blood flowing while maggots gnawed at him. Fortunately, upon hearing the Buddha’s teaching, he came to understand cause and effect, endured with patience, and repented. However, 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 indulge in afflictions. Indulging in afflictions is to damage the Tathāgata’s precept body, and the sin is immeasurable and boundless.