Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 82Sitting in Private

EXPLANATION OF THE RAHONISAJJA SUTTA (坐在隱私裡)

Background

The Rahonisajja Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, one of the three principal collections of the Pāli Canon in the Theravāda tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the discipline for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, established by the Buddha to protect the monastic community and nurture purity in action.

This text is recorded in the Pātimokkha, the list of the most basic rules that every bhikkhu must observe. The term “Rahonisajja” (ราโห นิสัจจ) means “sitting privately” or “sitting in a private place,” referring to an ethical situation involving privacy between a bhikkhu and a bhikkhunī. This background reflects the concern of the Dharma for maintaining cleanliness in relationships and public confidence in the monastic community.

Main Content

The Pātimokkha rule provides that a bhikkhu may not sit privately or remain alone with a bhikkhunī without a witness or an appropriate context. This rule is intended to protect the honor of both male and female monastics, while preventing misunderstandings or suspicion from laypeople and the public.

The Dharma emphasizes that those gone forth have renounced worldly life and the desires connected with it. Nevertheless, the Buddha also understood that human beings remain human beings, and private situations can give rise to suspicion or harm the public respect accorded to the Sangha. Therefore, this rule is not based on absolute prohibition or distrust, but on protecting the purity of the monastic community as a whole.

The rule is applied flexibly: if there is a legitimate reason, such as teaching the Dharma, caring for illness, or the presence of a third person, sitting together is entirely permitted. What matters is intention and context, not an absolute ban.

Practical Meaning

The Rahonisajja Sutta teaches us the importance of self-awareness and responsibility toward the community.