Lzh Mu Bi Pm Sk 41Receiving Even Level

Exposition of the Samatittika Sutra (Receiving Even Level)

Background

The Samatittika Sutra belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, a collection of rules for communal life and discipline for Buddhist monks and nuns. In the Early Buddhist tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of dry prohibitions, but an expression of the Path: guidance on how to live harmoniously in a community of practice.

The title “Samatittika” (Receiving Even Level / receiving at an equal level) records a core principle of the Sangha: the basic equality in status of all members, regardless of background or ability. These are instructions related to receiving and treating monks and nuns fairly, reflecting the spirit of democracy and mutual respect that the Buddha established in the community of practice.

Main Content

This sutra centers on the principle of “samatittika,” from “sama” (equal/even) and “titta” (level/degree), guiding the Sangha community to receive new members with equal and impartial treatment. In its historical context, Early Buddhism broke through the social structure of ancient India by accepting people from all classes, Brahmins, women, Shudras, those of the lowest class, and even those who had committed offenses, into the Sangha with the same status.

The sutra emphasizes that when a person trains to become a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī, they must be received in a genuine position, not superficially, without suspicion regarding their past. The practice of the Five Precepts (Pañcasīla) or the Eight Precepts (Atthasīla) consists of practical commitments, not pre-existing conditions of the social order.

This also relates to collective decisions (Sangha karman): decisions within the Sangha community must be made by common consent, and no one may be excluded from this decision-making process if they have been received into the community. Each member, whether a senior or junior bhikkhu, has an equal right to vote on Sangha matters.