Lzh Mi Bi Vb Pc 150Lying on the Same Sheet
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ekattharaṇatuvaṭṭana
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The Ekattharaṇatuvaṭṭana Sutta: Lying on One Shared Mat
Background
The Ekattharaṇatuvaṭṭana Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon in the Theravāda tradition, specifically in the Pātimokkha section of prohibitions for bhikkhunīs. This sutta is recorded as a Pācittiya rule, a type of offense requiring confession and correction, lighter than the more serious transgressions.
The Vinaya is the collection of training rules laid down by the Buddha Śākyamuni to maintain discipline in the Sangha. These rules are not arbitrary punishments, but an educational system for training the mind, actions, and speech of practitioners. The Ekattharaṇatuvaṭṭana Sutta is directly related to the communal life of nuns, especially the regulations governing shared living.
Main Content
Ekattharaṇatuvaṭṭana, from Pāli eka = one, attharaṇa = mat or spread, and tuvaṭṭana = rolling or turning about, refers to the situation of nuns sleeping while sharing a single mat or bedding. This rule is intended to prevent unsuitable actions or excessive intimacy among monastics in communal life.
Specifically, the rule forbids bhikkhunīs from lying on the same mat without proper separation. This act is considered a Pācittiya offense because it may lead to excessive closeness or indecorous behavior, which could affect the honor of the Sangha and disturb the mind of the practitioner.
The rule is not meant to disparage affection among companions in the holy life, but to protect purity of mind and conduct. It reflects a basic principle of the Vinaya: maintaining external conditions that help the mind develop purity and remain undisturbed.
Practical Meaning
The Ekattharaṇatuvaṭṭana Sutta teaches us that the holy life does not lie only in the mind, but must also be expressed through body and speech.
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