Lzh Mg Bu Pm Pc 70Sitting in Private
Pāli / Sanskrit:Rahonisajja
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
The Sutta on Rahonisajja — Commentary in the Theravāda Tradition
Background
The Sutta on Rahonisajja (Pāli: rahonisajja, meaning "sitting alone in private") belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist Dharma, recorded in the Bhikkhu Pātimokkha or Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha. These are training rules pertaining to the conduct of Buddhist monastics, intended to protect the purity of the practitioner's mind and to maintain harmony within the Sangha community.
This sutta was taught in the context of the Buddha guiding practitioners regarding eavesdropping, private contact, and activities that may give rise to conflict within the monastic community. The Vinaya Piṭaka does not consist of absolute prohibitions, but rather voluntary training rules (Pāli: sikkhāpada) that help practitioners direct the mind toward liberation.
Principal Content
According to the Theravāda tradition, the Sutta on Rahonisajja centers on the matter of monastics not sitting alone in secluded or concealed places out of sight of others. Specifically, the Buddha warns that sitting privately under uncertain conditions and circumstances may lead to unwholesome actions or give rise to suspicion within the community.
This rule is not directed at actual wrongdoing, but rather at preventing occasions that may cause doubt (Pāli: saṅkharasaṅkharapaccayā) and at ensuring that monastics always maintain clarity of conduct and intention. The sutta emphasizes that solitary sittings — especially in the presence of another person (in particular one of the opposite sex), or under circumstances that are not clear and transparent — should be avoided.
This is a minor training rule (Pācittiya — an offense requiring confession and acknowledgment), yet it reflects a greater principle: a monastic practitioner should always live accountably before the community, leaving no space for doubt or misgiving.
Practical Significance
The Sutta on Rahonisajja teaches us about sīla (virtue and moral conduct) and sati (mindfulness) — two foundations of Buddhist practice. The deeper meaning of the sutta lies not merely in the refusal of unwholesome actions, but in actively cultivating a pure, clear, and transparent environment conducive to the diligent mind.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.