Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 182Teach Having Sat Close With Householder

Discourse on Teaching While Sitting Near a Householder

An Explanation from the Traditional Theravāda Vinaya

Background

This discourse appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli canon, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the earliest code of the Buddhist monastic order. These provisions were established after the Buddha’s awakening and the beginning of his teaching. They reflect specific situations that occurred among his disciples, from which the Buddha laid down training rules to protect the well-being, discipline, and reputation of the Sangha.

In this context, a monk or a group of monastics has occasion to teach the Dharma to a householder. The discourse sets out matters requiring attention when interacting with laypeople (upāsaka) in such circumstances.

Main Content

This discourse gives guidance on how a monastic, after sitting near a householder to teach, should maintain collectedness, goodwill, and trustworthiness. This includes not having bad intentions or unwholesome eagerness toward the householder, whether out of desire for material gain or for an improper purpose.

In the spirit of the Pātimokkha, when a bhikkhu teaches the Dharma, he must maintain purity of mind (citta parisuddha). This means that the motive for teaching must be compassion, wishing to help the householder progress on the path of practice, and not greed for gain or any other purpose. “Sitting near” (upasankharaṇa) signifies intimacy in instruction, but such instruction must always remain within the framework of Buddhist ethical foundations.

The discourse also implies that a monk must not exploit or harbor unwholesome intentions when close to devotees. Every action and word must accord with the five precepts (pañcasīla) for laypeople or the ten precepts for a bhikkhu. This ensures that the understanding between teacher and student remains fresh, clear, and free from exploitation.