Lzh Mu Bu Vb Pc 80Entering a Village at the Wrong Time
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vikālagāmappavisana
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SUTTA ON ENTERING A VILLAGE AT THE WRONG TIME
Background
The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of scriptures that sets forth the rules of training for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in the Sangha. These rules were given by the Buddha gradually, whenever incidents occurred or situations needed clarification. The Vikālagāmappavisana Sutta (Entering a Village at the Wrong Time) is one of the minor rules found in the Pātimokkha, the basic Pāli code of the Sangha.
In the Buddha’s time, bhikkhus generally observed the practice of entering villages at appropriate times. The purpose was to avoid unnecessary entanglements, maintain concentration, and preserve the dignity of monastics. However, situations on the road while teaching the Dharma or returning to the monastery were not always convenient. This sutta clarifies detailed regulations for when a bhikkhu needs to enter a village at an unusual time.
Main Content
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, bhikkhus are required to observe three principal times for entering a village: early morning (pubbaṇha), noon (majjhanhika), and evening (sāyaṇha). Times outside these three periods are considered “unsuitable times” (vikāla). The reason for forbidding entry into a village at other times is to avoid potentially impure activities, private meetings, or actions easily misunderstood by the community.
However, this rule is not absolute. If a bhikkhu has a valid reason, such as returning to the monastery late after completing a teaching duty, or being ill and needing to seek someone to care for him, he is permitted to enter a village at an unsuitable time. What is important is that the bhikkhu’s intention (cetanā) must be pure and that the reasons must be reasonable and explainable to the Sangha.
The sutta clearly prescribes that entering a village at an unsuitable time without a valid reason is an offense against the Pātimokkha (Pātimokkha-āpatti), one of the violations that must be confessed before the Sangha.
Practical Meaning
The Vikālagāmappavisana Sutta is not merely a rule about time.
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