Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pc 83Concealed Places
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paṭicchannokāsa
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Sutta on Concealed Private Places (Paṭicchannokāsa)
Background
The Paṭicchannokāsa Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pācittiya section, rules concerning offenses that require confession and correction. This is not a discourse on doctrine or meditation, but a basic monastic rule, whether in the bhikkhunī-vinaya or bhikkhu-vinaya, concerning conduct involving the concealment of improper activities or hidden places in monastic dwellings.
The background for the arising of this rule comes from specific situations in the early monastic community. When bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs were encouraged, directly or indirectly, to conceal actions not in accordance with the Dharma, or to use hidden places to avoid the supervision of the Sangha, the Buddha established this rule to protect the purity and transparency of the community.
Main Content
The Paṭicchannokāsa rule concerns the concealment (paṭicchanna) of private places (okāsa). Specifically, when a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī is encouraged by another, or even acts on his or her own, to conceal activities contrary to the Vinaya in spaces little known to others, this constitutes a violation. Such hidden spaces may be private rooms, dark corners in the monastery, or any place difficult to discover.
The sutta states clearly that this conduct is not only a matter for the individual offender, but also a matter for the community. If anyone, whether bhikkhu, bhikkhunī, or even a lay person, facilitates or encourages the concealment of wrongful acts, that person too bears responsibility. Even creating or maintaining hidden places oneself for the purpose of concealing actions inconsistent with virtue is considered a violation.
The purpose of this rule is to protect the purity (susīla) and transparency of the Sangha. In the Theravāda tradition, observance of discipline is not only a personal matter but also the foundation of a genuine community of practice.
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