Lzh Mg Bu Pm Np 26Asking for Thread
Pāli / Sanskrit:Suttaviññatti
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Commentary on the Suttaviññatti (Asking Permission by Verbal Announcement)
Background
The Suttaviññatti is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically within the Pātimokkha (the code of rules for bhikkhus). These are detailed regulations concerning how to seek permission and declare one's intention within the Buddhist monastic community. This text reflects the Buddha's thoughtfulness in establishing a system of clear communication among the ordained, so as to maintain discipline, integrity, and harmony within the religious community.
The foundation of the Suttaviññatti is the principle of suttaviññatti — that is, announcement of intention by speech. This is a formal means of seeking permission, reporting, or giving notice at religious occasions, distinct from other forms such as aniruddhaviññatti (silent announcement) or dviruddhaviññatti (announcement by two modes). The text was formulated when the Buddha recognized the need for a clear procedure in order to prevent ambiguity and misunderstanding within the Sangha.
Principal Content
The Suttaviññatti stipulates that when bhikkhus need to seek permission for religious or everyday activities — such as traveling away from the monastery, attending a Dhamma gathering, or carrying out duties relating to the preceptor (upajjhāya) or teacher (ācariya) — they must do so by means of a clear declaration made before the community or before the person concerned.
The specific form is as follows: the one seeking permission must rise, arrange his robe (over one shoulder), kneel down (or rest upon the palms of the hands), place the hands upon the chest, and state his intention clearly and aloud. This verbal statement is not a mere ordinary announcement but a formal declaration carrying legal validity within the system of the Vinaya. Once an announcement has been made by speech, that action is considered to have been fully reported, and others are obligated to respect this stated intention.
The text also emphasizes that suttaviññatti must be performed with sincerity, attentiveness (manasikāra), and without denial. It is not an empty formality but rather an expression of mental volition (cetanā) — right intention.
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