Lzh Mu Bu Vb Sk 1Evenly All Around

Parimaṇḍala: Teaching on Evenness All Around

Background

The Parimaṇḍala Sutta (the Buddha Dharma evenly all around) is a text belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is a collection of rules of practice and illustrative stories about how the Sangha, the community of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, manages communal life in a disciplined and ethical way.

This sutta is found in the section of regulations related to how members of the Sangha should organize and distribute work, property, or resources fairly and evenly. The word “Parimaṇḍala” (pari- = all around; maṇḍala = circle, round form) suggests an even distribution in a complete circular manner, leaving no one lacking and no one on the margins.

The context for this sutta usually appears when the Buddha and his disciples need to establish a principle of fairness in the Sangha, especially when there are disputes or inequalities in the sharing of property, food, or work in practice.

Main Content

The Parimaṇḍala Sutta teaches that in a complete community, distribution and management must be carried out evenly, encompassing all members without anyone being omitted. This is not merely an economic principle, but a profound ethical principle based on compassion and the equality of all people on the path of practice.

When the Buddha taught about “evenness all around” (parimaṇḍala), he emphasized that no one in the Sangha should be despised, excluded, or deprived of the resources appropriate for practice. Every bhikkhu and bhikkhunī, whether a novice or one who has attained highly, deserves to be treated fairly.

This sutta also reflects the principle of Sangha Sammatī, unity and harmony in the community of practice. When distribution is carried out fairly and transparently, members feel respected and free from discrimination; from this, their minds naturally turn toward upholding the collective discipline.