Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 79Attending a Monk
Pāli / Sanskrit:Upatiṭṭhana
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THE SUTTA ON SERVING AN ARHAT
A Commentary on the Upatiṭṭhana Pātimokkha
Background
Upatiṭṭhana (service, attendance) is an important regulation in the Theravāda Vinaya tradition, found specifically within the Pātimokkha Saṃgīti (the collection of fundamental rules) for Bhikkhunis (nuns). This regulation falls under the Pācittiya section (offenses entailing expiation, which must be completed through confession) and reflects the relationships among members of the monastic community.
According to the Pāli Canon tradition, the rules concerning mutual service and care for one another form the foundation of the Saṃgha (the religious community). These are not merely physical acts, but also expressions of compassionate intention, solidarity, and mutual respect within the community of practitioners.
Principal Content
The Upatiṭṭhana Sutta stipulates that when an Arhat (a noble one who has attained the purity of wisdom) or an elder monastic who is devoted to practice is present, the other members of the community have a responsibility to serve and attend to that person. Such service encompasses basic tasks such as preparing lodging, food, robes, and other daily necessities.
Members of the community are not permitted to refuse service to others without cause, particularly when the one to be served is a devoted practitioner or one of long years in the monastic life. If a bhikkhuni refuses legitimate service without a valid reason, this constitutes a Pācittiya offense—that is, a transgression requiring confession and acknowledgment before the community of monastics.
The converse also applies: those who receive service (especially Arhats) must embody the virtue worthy of such respect and care. Both parties—the one who serves and the one who is served—must maintain integrity, free from greed, free from anger, and free from delusion in this relationship.
Practical Significance
The regulation on service reflects a core principle of Theravāda Buddhism: the community of practitioners is an organic whole in which each member bears responsibility toward the others.
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