Lzh Mi Bu Pm Sk 52Receiving Even Level
Pāli / Sanskrit:Samatittika
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Exposition of the Samatittika Sutta (Receiving Even Level)
Background
The Samatittika Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Pitaka of the Pāli Canon, the collection regulating discipline in the Buddhist Sangha. The Vinaya Pitaka was compiled to protect the spirit of practice and maintain harmony in the community of those who have gone forth. This text addresses a subtle matter in communal life: equal and fair treatment among members of the Sangha.
The title “Receiving Even Level” (Samatittika) is translated from Pāli, in which “sama” means “equal, even” and “tittika” relates to “holding, managing.” This text reflects a basic principle of Theravada Buddhism: every member of the Sangha, regardless of origin or capacity, deserves to be treated with equal respect.
Main Content
The Samatittika Sutta concerns principles for receiving (upadana) and managing elements within the community of practice fairly, without discrimination or partiality. In the context of the Vinaya Pitaka, “receiving even level” refers to the distribution of resources, the allocation of food, robes, and the necessities of life to bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs according to a uniform standard.
The text emphasizes that the property of the Sangha is not the private property of anyone, but common property (Sangha-bhanda). The management of these possessions must follow the principle of “basic equality”: no monastic is to be favored over others on the basis of power, status, or personal relationship. This protects the teaching from personal ambition and injustice.
The text also explains that observing this principle is not harsh or isolating, but an expression of loving-kindness (metta) and wisdom (panna). When everyone is treated fairly, trust within the community is built, and minds are focused on practice rather than preoccupied with injustices.
Practical Meaning
Samatittika is not merely an administrative rule, but a profound lesson on the nature of the collective.
🌏 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.