Lzh Mg Bu Pm Pc 56Staying With an Army
Pāli / Sanskrit:Senāvāsa
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Sutta on Dwelling with an Army (Senāvāsa)
Background
The Senāvāsa Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, an essential component of the training system of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka does not consist of rules imposed from without, but rather of instructions intended to support the monastic community (Saṅgha) in maintaining discipline and harmony in their shared life of practice.
This sutta addresses the matter concerning bhikkhus dwelling together with a military army. The context arose when the Buddha and his disciples were traveling or residing in proximity to kings and their armies. The issue raised is not one of absolute prohibition, but rather of establishing the appropriate conditions, time limits, and manner of conduct for maintaining a mind settled in practice within an environment that is noisy and fraught with potential disturbances.
Principal Content
The Senāvāsa Sutta prescribes that bhikkhus ought not to dwell together with an army for an extended period. The principal reason is that the military environment carries with it elements alien to the life of mindful practice: the noise of implements of warfare, violent conflict, and constant agitation. These things constitute obstacles to meditation (jhāna) and the development of wisdom (prajñā).
Nevertheless, the Vinaya does not impose an absolute prohibition. The sutta permits residence in specific circumstances and within a limited period of time. For instance, if a bhikkhu who is ill requires care, or when newly ordained bhikkhus may need guidance, then dwelling together may be regarded as acceptable. However, there must be thoughtfulness in discerning when the time has come to depart.
The emphasis of the sutta is this: dwelling with an army will gradually erode the tenfold excellences of the Dharma—that is to say, the ten aspects of benefit arising from the practice of the Buddha's Dharma. Specifically, it may diminish concentration of mind, diminish the joy found in practice, and obscure the aim of liberation.
Practical Significance
The Senāvāsa Sutta holds profound significance for those who practice in accordance with the Theravāda tradition.
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