Lzh Mu Bi Vb Ss 16Siding With One Socializing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Saṁsaṭṭhānuvattaka
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Saṁsaṭṭhānuvattaka Sutta
On Following Along and Being Intimate with Others
Background
The Saṁsaṭṭhānuvattaka Sutta (Pāli: Saṁsaṭṭha = intimate, close; Anuvattaka = following after, conforming to) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Sutuvacanādhikaraṇa section of the Phṛsukkhandhaka. This is a text of the Theravāda tradition — the Pāli Canon — focusing on the training rules and way of life of bhikkhus.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of restrictive rules, but an independent practical work for building moral character (sīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā). This sutta has special significance in guiding bhikkhus on social attitudes and communication within the Sangha.
Main Content
This sutta treats the matter of social conduct (saṁsaṭṭha = association, contact) and appropriately following others within the bhikkhu community. In particular, it addresses situations in which a monk must carefully consider the relationships he forms.
In the context of the Vinaya, “siding with one” does not mean blind loyalty, but careful consideration. When a bhikkhu decides to be close to someone or to follow a group within the Sangha, that action must be examined through the lens of ethics. The choice of companions and fellow practitioners must be based on this standard: do those people act according to the Dhamma and observe the Vinaya?
The sutta emphasizes that a bhikkhu should not simply follow a person or faction because of personal benefit, affection, or temporary comfort. Instead, the choice must be based on principle: do those people practice the Noble Path? Do they live according to the Vinaya and the Dhamma?
Practical Meaning
The deep meaning of Saṁsaṭṭhānuvattaka lies in training wisdom (paññā) in the selection of relationships.
🌏 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.