Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pc 150Not Inviting
Pāli / Sanskrit:Apavāraṇā
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The Apavāraṇā Sutta (Not Inviting)
Background
The Apavāraṇā Sutta is one of the Pātimokkha rules (a reference code of discipline) belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition. It is a regulation pertaining to the closing ceremony of the Rains Retreat (Vassāvāsa) of the Saṅgha, and in particular to the act of inviting correction within the Pavāraṇā ceremony—the rite of opening or "unlocking" the spiritual life following three months of secluded practice.
In the Theravāda tradition, after the three-month Rains Retreat (the fifth, sixth, and seventh months of the lunar calendar), the Saṅgha assembles to perform the Pavāraṇā ceremony. This is an occasion on which each monastic member publicly invites his fellow monastics to point out any offenses he may have committed during the Rains Retreat—an act known as "inviting admonition" (pavaraṇam āpucchati). The Apavāraṇā rule, however, addresses the opposite case: when a monastic does not extend this invitation, or fails to carry it out in the proper manner.
Principal Contents
The rule stipulates that a monastic is obligated to take the initiative in inviting members of the Saṅgha to point out his faults. If a monastic has resided within the same retreat boundary yet does not send forth the invitation (apavāraṇā), or deliberately avoids doing so, this constitutes a transgression of the rule.
"Not inviting" is regarded as a negative act because it reflects a lack of sincerity and humility. A monastic who is genuinely practicing will always be willing to receive constructive criticism from his community of the Saṅgha. Apavāraṇā is not merely a formal ceremony; it is also an expression of the spirit of self-restraint and a readiness to learn and improve.
This rule likewise reflects a fundamental principle of the Saṅgha: mutual oversight, transparency, and collective accountability. When monastics choose not to invite admonition, they are concealing something or refusing assistance, and this undermines the integrity of communal monastic life.
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