Brahmacariyapañcamaka Sīla

Brahmacariyapañcamaka Sīla (Komārabrahmacariya Sīla)

Komārabrahmacariya Sīla means Brahmacariyapañcamaka Sīla. Komārabrahmacariya Sīla means the noble morality of unmarried youths who abstained from all sexual acts in observing five moral precepts. For ladies, it is called Komāribrahmacariya Sīla. The way of undertaking to observe this precept is the same as undertaking to observe the five moral precepts, but instead of saying “Kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṁ samādiyāmi”, one has to say “Abrahmacariyā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṁ samādiyāmi”. When one formally asks for administering the moral precepts, one must say “Komārabrahmacariya pañcamaka sīlaṁ”, instead of saying “pañca sīlaṁ”.

At the time of Kassapa Buddha, the seven daughters of King Kikī, who would become Khemā, Uppavaṇṇā, Paṭācārā, Dhammadinnā, Kuṇṇḍalakesī, Kisā Gotamī, Visākhā at the time of Gotama Buddha, lived as virgins for twenty thousand years, observing Komārabrahmacariya Sīla.

Furthermore, the couples such as King Udayabhadda, the future Buddha and his queen, as well as Dukūla and Pārikā, never enjoyed sexual pleasure although they slept in the same bed, and lived happily in loving-kindness throughout their whole live.

Unmarried virgins and bachelors as well as married couples who temporarily live apart from one another can observe this precept well.