Lzh Mi Bi Vb Pc 152Lying on the Same Bed
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ekamañcatuvaṭṭana
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EXPLANATION OF THE EKAMAÑCATUVAṬṬANA SUTTA
Monks Lying on the Same Bed
Background
This rule is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Pāli Canon’s Vinaya, in the Pācimokkhasutta section, the foundational disciplinary rules for the Theravāda Buddhist Sangha. Ekamañcatuvaṭṭana (eka: one; mañca: bed; tuvaṭṭana: turn or occasion) deals with a specific situation in the communal life of bhikkhus.
The historical formation of this rule is connected with the need to maintain discipline in the Sangha. The Buddha promulgated rules for training not to constrain, but to protect purity in practice, maintain the trust of Buddhists, and build a harmonious way of life within the religious community. Each rule arises from specific situations and always carries a deep educational meaning.
Main Content
The Ekamañcatuvaṭṭana rule concerns the conduct of bhikkhus when lying together on a shared bed, specifically when three bhikkhus lie on the same bed. According to this rule, if three bhikkhus lie together on one bed in an improper condition or in violation of the principles of training, they commit a Pācittiya offense, one of the offenses to be declared before the Sangha.
More specifically, when three bhikkhus lie on the same bed and repeat this action many times (tuvaṭṭana), the nature of the offense may change depending on the context: whether it is the first time or from the fourth time onward. If it is the fourth time, the offense may be elevated to Saṅghādisesa, an offense requiring settlement through a process of reconciliation in the Sangha, witnessed by the whole community.
The important point is that the Vinaya is not simply forbidding lying on the same bed; it is concerned with the context and the repeated nature of the conduct. This rule is intended to prevent situations that could give rise to suspicion, loss of trust, or harm to the spirit of concentration in practice.
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