Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 92During the Rainy Season
Pāli / Sanskrit:Antovassa
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Antovassa Sutta (The Rainy Season) — Explanation
Background
The Antovassa Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, the rules of practice established by the Buddha Gotama for the community of monks and nuns (Saṅgha). Antovassa (antovassa-vāsa) in Pāli means “remaining during the rainy season.” This is an important part of the traditional Buddhist monastic calendar, when monastics gather in one place for intensive practice throughout the three months of the rains, corresponding roughly to July through September in the lunar calendar of Southeast Asia.
The general background for the formation of the Vinaya Piṭaka is the specific situations that the Buddha had to address when monks and nuns behaved inappropriately. The rules (sikkhāpada) were not laid down by arbitrary will, but arose from the need to protect the life of practice, maintain harmony (sadhutā), and nurture the faith (saddhā) of the community.
Main Content
During the rainy season (vassa), monastics gather in one residence to avoid harming small living beings when traveling, since rain moistens the ground and insects and worms proliferate. This is not only a practical benefit but also an expression of the spirit of the pañcasīla, the five precepts, the basic blessings that include refraining from killing living beings.
The Antovassa Sutta specifically defines the responsibilities and rules of conduct for monks and nuns during this period. Monks and nuns must observe principles of living together, dividing work, sharing study materials, and maintaining collective discipline (saṅgha-kammatā). Importantly, this period is considered a golden opportunity to train the mind (bhāvanā), because stability of residence and order in the Sangha create favorable conditions for meditation (jhāna) and wisdom (paññā).
One of the core elements of vassa is the vow to “remain for the rains” (uposatha), a commitment to provide for one another, admonish one another, and abandon unwholesome deeds during these three months.
🌏 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.