Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 87Lying on the Same Bed
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ekamañcatuvaṭṭana
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The Sutta on Lying on One Bed (Ekamañcatuvaṭṭana)
Background
The Ekamañcatuvaṭṭana Sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the basic code that bhikkhus must observe. This sutta records one of the faults (Pācittiya) that bhikkhus may commit in the course of practice.
According to the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka was established not to punish, but to help practitioners understand the consequences of actions unsuitable to the noble path. Each prohibition arises from a specific event, an action by bhikkhus that the Buddha saw as obstructing practice or harming the monastic community.
This sutta concerns privacy and the highest happiness, nirvana. It reflects the Buddha’s deep understanding of how factors of pleasure and ease can obstruct practice and cause the mind to become entangled.
Main Content
The Ekamañcatuvaṭṭana Sutta concerns a rule forbidding bhikkhus to lie together on one bed with others, who are not bhikkhus, in certain situations. Specifically, it forbids bhikkhus from lying on the same bed with women or with others where contact could lead to the stirring of sensual desires or create negative comments from the community.
This regulation arises from the principle of protecting celibacy (brahmacariya) and avoiding situations that could lead to violation of the bhikkhus’ rule of celibacy. According to the Vinaya, maintaining purity is not only physical restraint but also purity of mind.
This regulation is also connected with the principle of “not giving rise to suspicion,” namely that bhikkhus should not do actions that could cause people to doubt their conduct. Lying on the same bed is an action that may cause misunderstandings or criticism from laypeople, thereby harming the honor of the Order.
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