Lzh Dg Bi Pm Sk 72Not Burn Corpse Near Stupa
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not burn corpse near stupa
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
THE SUTRA ON NOT CREMATING NEAR A STUPA
Context
This regulation appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhadharma tradition, specifically among the rules for communal living (Saṃghadisesa) intended for the Sangha. In the time of the Buddha Shakyamuni, the monastic community needed clear regulations to maintain discipline, protect reverence for sacred places, and ensure harmony in the community. This regulation arose when incidents occurred concerning the handling of bodies near Buddhist stupas, places regarded as reliquary monuments or relic sites of the Buddha and highly virtuous teachers.
In that historical context, cremating a corpse near a stupa not only caused unhygienic conditions and polluted air around a sacred place, but also showed lack of respect toward important religious sites of the community. Therefore, the Buddha and the senior monks established this rule as a measure of ethical cultivation.
Main Content
The sutra stipulates that bhikkhus may not cremate the body of a deceased person near Buddhist stupas or sacred places in a monastery. This is a rule of discipline (Vinaya), intended to honor places where the Buddhadharma is preserved and revered. If this rule is violated, a bhikkhu must undergo penalties according to the Vinaya, including public confession of the offense before the assembly (Pābbajjana).
This regulation also reflects the standpoint of the Buddhadharma toward death and the handling of bodies. In Theravāda, the corpse is regarded as part of the cycle of birth and death (Saṃsāra), but its handling must be carried out with dignity and respect. Sacred areas must be protected from inappropriate activities, so that the spiritually pure nature of those places is maintained. Cremating away from the stupa not only protects reverence, but is also a form of training in wisdom (Paññā) concerning consideration, change, and right awareness in action.
Practical Meaning
For monastics practicing the ancient Buddhadharma today, this sutra teaches us three profound lessons.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.