Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 152Lying on the Same Bed
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ekamañcatuvaṭṭana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Discourse on Lying on the Same Bed (Ekamañcatuvaṭṭana)
Background
The Discourse on Lying on the Same Bed belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, the regulations concerning monastic discipline in the Sangha. This discourse is recorded in the Pācittiya section, a group of offenses requiring confession. They are not the gravest offenses, but they are actions that must be restrained in order to protect mental purity and the reputation of monastics.
The background behind this discourse arises from specific situations in the early monastic community. The Buddha observed that certain actions, although not directly violating the celibacy of monastics (brahmacarya), could nevertheless harm reputation, create unnecessary doubts, or weaken the resolve of others in practice. Therefore, the Buddha issued subtle rules to protect both the inner mind and the reputation of monks and nuns.
Main Content
The rule concerning "lying on the same bed" (ekamañcatuvaṭṭana) states that a monastic is not permitted to lie on the same bed or couch with a woman, except in certain permitted special circumstances, such as with a mother or sister, or in emergency situations. If this act occurs, that monastic must confess the offense before the Sangha.
This discourse does not simply prohibit a specific action, but also reflects a profound philosophy concerning the importance of heedfulness (appamāda) and the protection of modesty (hiri). The purpose is not distrust of monastics, but recognition of human vulnerability: even with strong resolve, external conditions can still influence the mind. Therefore, the Buddha advocated building "protective boundaries" (parisuddhi) to make the path of practice safer and clearer.
This rule is also closely related to the principle of protecting the reputation of the Sangha. In society, such actions, even when the intention is pure, are easily misunderstood or may give rise to doubt.
🌏 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.