Lzh Dg Bu Pm Sk 19Well-Covered (2nd)

Explanation of the Dutiyasuppaṭicchanna Sutta (The Second Well-Covered Rule)

Background

The Dutiyasuppaṭicchanna Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, the collection of training rules issued by the Buddha Gotama for the Bhikkhu Sangha and Bhikkhunī Sangha. This sutta is found in the section of regulations concerning actions that should be covered or kept private, related to modesty in the practice of celibacy.

In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, "Dutiya" (second) indicates a rule repeated or clarified once again, often to emphasize its importance or apply it to specific situations. "Suppaṭicchanna" (well-covered, discreet) refers to matters connected with covering parts of the body or actions that should be carried out privately and respectfully.

The Vinaya rules concerning covering are not meant to create shame or repression, but to protect the monastic spirit, maintain purity, and keep attention focused on the path to awakening.

Main Content

This sutta sets standards for how bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs should conduct themselves in situations requiring covering and discretion. In particular, it emphasizes that in personal and basic bodily activities, a practitioner must maintain the highest conduct: without display and without impropriety.

The specific content of this sutta has not yet been fully translated in modern Vietnamese versions. However, based on the Vinaya Piṭaka context, it is clearly related to the application of the principle of brahmacariya (pure celibate living) and the pañcasīla (the Five Basic Precepts). Such regulations are regarded as part of Pārājika (offenses leading to expulsion from the Sangha) or Saṅghādisesa (offenses requiring communal procedures).

Practical Meaning

The deeper meaning of Dutiyasuppaṭicchanna lies in recognizing that practice is not only a matter of mental intention, but that the body and actions must also be restrained.