Lzh Mu Bi Vb Pc 84Standing Alone With Monk
Pāli / Sanskrit:Standing alone with monk
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Discourse on Standing Alone with a Monk
Background
The Vinaya in the Pāli Canon records the training rules that the Buddha Śākyamuni established for the community of bhikkhus. The discourse "Standing Alone with a Monk" belongs to the Pātimokkha, the collection of the most basic precepts in Theravāda Buddhism. It is one of the regulations related to interactions among monastics, especially intended to protect the purity of practice and maintain the faith of the community.
The historical circumstances of this code arose from specific events. When the Buddha was alive, the monastic community grew rapidly, and not all had firm wholesome roots. Some bhikkhus, though ordained, had not yet completely removed mistaken tendencies. Therefore, the Buddha practiced a gradual establishment of rules, step by step setting forth regulations to protect the purity of the Saṅgha.
Main Content
The rule "Standing Alone with a Monk" concerns restrictions on being alone with another bhikkhu, especially in certain contexts. The main purpose is to avoid suspicion, potential dangers, and protect the honor of each individual as well as the whole Saṅgha community.
According to the Theravāda tradition, when two or more bhikkhus are together in certain circumstances, especially in enclosed spaces or at particular times, they should avoid actions or situations that could give rise to dispute. If two bhikkhus must be alone, they should try to have a third person present, or remain in public places, so as not to be misunderstood.
This rule does not arise from unfair suspicion, but is a practical preventive measure. It helps restore the trust of the community of Dharma students toward the Saṅgha community, while also protecting each individual from unfair criticism or from opportunities for the mind to be governed by latent desires.
🌏 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.