Lzh Mg Bi Vb Sk 33Clasping Knees
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pallatthika
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Pallatthika Sutta (The Act of Clasping Knees)
Background
The Pallatthika Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka—the Basket of Monastic Discipline of the Theravāda tradition. This text records specific rules of conduct for bhikkhunīs (ordained nuns). According to traditional history, the Blessed One Gotama established these teachings in the course of guiding the monastic community, responding directly to improper actions that had arisen within that community.
The title "Clasping Knees" (Pallatthika in Pāli, meaning "clasping the knees" or "kneeling") refers to improper actions relating to bodily comportment in social interactions, particularly those that may give rise to misunderstanding or a breach of decorum between male and female monastics. This sutta is part of the detailed regulations intended to protect the purity and spiritual integrity of the monastic community.
Principal Content
The Vinaya establishes that ordained nuns should not engage in certain bodily actions when interacting with ordained monks, including such conduct as clasping the knees together or making gestures that may suggest inappropriate intimacy. These actions, however minor they may appear, are regarded as violations of the Dhamma—both in spirit and in the letter of the rule.
The sutta teaches that such behaviors not only reflect an impure state of mind but also cause harm to the honor of the Sangha—the community of monastics. The Vinaya emphasizes that every small action of a monastic affects the public's trust in the Buddha's Teaching. Therefore, these rules are not arbitrary constraints but are principles of Dhamma that protect the integrity of the path of practice.
According to the Theravāda tradition, violations of this kind fall under the category of Saṅghādisesa (offenses requiring formal reconciliation by the Sangha) or Paṭidesanīya (offenses requiring confession), depending on the degree and specific circumstances involved.
Practical Significance
The Pallatthika Sutta teaches that monastic practice is not merely a matter of governing the mind, but encompasses the governance of the entire body and of concrete behavior. Every movement, every gesture, is an expression of one's state of mind.
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