Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 108Not Departing With Disciple

SŪTRA OF NOT BEING SEPARATED FROM ONE'S DISCIPLE

An Exposition of the Sahajīvinī-avūpakāsana

Background

This sūtra belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, which records the rules of monastic life that the Buddha Śākyamuni taught to his monastic disciples. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of arid prohibitions, but is an expression of the wisdom and compassion of the Blessed One toward the Saṃgha.

The sūtra "Not Being Separated from One's Disciple" (Sahajīvinī-avūpakāsana) centers on the important matter of relationships among members of the community of practice. The terms sahajīvinī (living together, accompanying one another) and avūpakāsana (not abandoning, not separating) indicate that this text addresses the responsibility of teachers and senior monastics in caring for, guiding, and not forsaking their disciples.

This is a profound ethical point within the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, reflecting the principle of the Dhamma-vinaya, wherein all relationships are built upon the foundation of awakening and compassion.

Principal Content

The sūtra stipulates that those monastics regarded as preceptors (upajjhāya) or teachers (ācariya) have the obligation not to abandon or separate themselves from their disciples. This carries not only a physical meaning—not departing to another place without giving notice—but also signifies a spiritual and psychological commitment that must not be broken.

The essential teaching is this: such a commitment constitutes the rule of the noble ones, a covenant entered into from the moment the Buddha established the ordinance of higher ordination (upasampadā). Should a teacher forsake a disciple in pursuit of personal benefit, material gain, or renown, this constitutes a violation of the Vinaya Piṭaka and causes harm to the fabric of the Saṃgha.