Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 114Lying on the Same Sheet
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ekattharaṇatuvaṭṭana
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Commentary on the Ekattharaṇatuvaṭṭana Sutta
(Lying on the Same Sheet)
Background
The Ekattharaṇatuvaṭṭana is found within the Pātimokkha (the Code of Discipline) of the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically belonging to the section on Pācittiya offenses — those infractions requiring confession and expiation. These are minor rules, yet they carry significant importance in the cultivation of meditative composure and the protection of the pure mind of monastics.
This rule was promulgated in the historical context of the early period when the Buddha and the Saṅgha lived together. The venerable teachers then established precepts to prevent situations that might lead to moral transgression or give rise to suspicion among the surrounding lay communities. The rule concerning "lying on the same sheet" reflects this careful discernment, directed toward safeguarding the purity of communal monastic life.
Principal Content
The rule prescribes that monastics should not lie on the same sheet (or bed, or mat) together in certain circumstances. This rule is not without reason; it has a clear purpose: to avoid suspicion, to avert negative consequences arising from civil law or public opinion, and to protect the mind from conduct that is contrary to the holy life.
In the Pāli Canon tradition, actions that violate this rule are classified as Pācittiya — offenses that require personal acknowledgment and confession before the Saṅgha. They are not as grave as Pārājika offenses (those leading to permanent expulsion from the Saṅgha), yet neither are they so minor as to be disregarded.
The deeper reasons underlying this rule rest upon three points: first, to avoid actions that may be misunderstood by society; second, to protect the discipline and the collectedness of mind in communal monastic life; and third, to preserve the honor and purity of the Saṅgha in the eyes of the people.
Practical Significance
The Ekattharaṇatuvaṭṭana teaches us about the importance of clear comprehension (sampajañña) and of restraint and patience in virtue (khantisīla) in daily conduct.
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