Ka Bu Pm Sk 3Evenly All Around

Parimaṇḍala Sutta: Evenly All Around

Background

The Parimaṇḍala Sutta (Evenly All Around) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, an important part of the Nikāya collection in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of disciplinary rules, but also the living history of the Order (Saṅgha) while the Buddha was still alive, recording how the Blessed One and his disciples behaved, resolved disputes, and maintained harmony in the monastic community.

This discourse is found in the Khandaka section, where detailed regulations are given concerning aspects of monastic life, from how precepts are received and how assemblies are organized to how disputes arising in the Order are resolved. The title “Parimaṇḍala” (round or even all around) suggests the principle of equality and comprehensiveness in the management of affairs.

Main Content

The Parimaṇḍala Sutta addresses guidelines related to arrangement and organization in meetings of the Order. In particular, it emphasizes the principle of “even all around,” that is, fairness, comprehensiveness, and the absence of discrimination or preferential tendency. When the Order gathers to make important decisions or handle matters of discipline, the arrangement of space, the order of speaking, and the way different opinions are heard must follow this principle.

The Blessed One taught that in a community of monastics living together, every member has the right to equal respect, even if their seniority in the Buddha’s teaching or their spiritual capacity differs. The arrangement “evenly all around” expresses democracy and equality: no one deserves to sit in a higher place or have a louder voice than another in common decisions, except in special cases clearly prescribed.

This is a reflection of the Buddha’s wisdom, for he understood that the Order could endure only if built upon mutual respect, freedom from discrimination of status, and transparent governance.