Lzh Mu Bi Vb Sk 41Receiving Even Level

Exposition of the Samatittika Sutra (Receiving Even Level)

Background

The Samatittika Sutra appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, especially in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the rules governing the community of nuns in their training. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of practical and disciplinary instructions laid down by the Buddha Gotama in order to protect calm, preserve the mind of practice, and elevate virtue within the community of noble disciples.

This sutra concerns "receiving at an even level" (Samatittika), a principle of fairness and equality in the distribution of property, food, or articles for practice among members of the community. This is a practical matter, yet it bears deep significance for Buddhist ethics.

Main Content

In the Vinaya Piṭaka, the division of property or offerings of alms food (pindapata) to the community of monks and nuns must follow the principle of fairness. The Samatittika Sutra refers to cases in which donors or monastery stewards provide food or necessities for the community, and the way these are received must ensure that everyone, whether elder or young, whether group leader or ordinary member, receives a fair and equal share.

The principle of "evenness" (samatittika) does not mean that each person must receive exactly the same quantity of goods, for individual circumstances may differ. Rather, it means the principle of fairness and impartiality. No one is to be favored or neglected on the basis of personal preference, status, or kinship. This is an expression of one of the core values of Theravāda Buddhism: equality in dignity among all who have gone forth.

This sutra is also related to decisions of the Sangha concerning the division of common property. If the community has common funds or communal property, distribution must be made with the consent of all or decided according to the rules established by the Buddha, not by the arbitrary will of a few individuals.