Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 64Entering a Village at the Wrong Time
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vikālagāmappavisana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Discourse on Entering a Village at an Improper Time
Vikālagāmappavisana
Background
The rule concerning entering a village at an improper time is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha for bhikkhus (the five hundred training rules for monastics). This is one of the detailed regulations intended to protect the purity of the Buddha’s teaching and to maintain a wholesome relationship between the monastic community and the lay community.
During the Buddha’s lifetime, monastics often traveled from place to place to propagate the Dharma. However, entering a village at will without observing rules could give rise to misunderstandings or negative consequences. Therefore, the Buddha taught his disciples the proper times and manner for entering a village to seek alms food.
This regulation reflects the care of Early Buddhism in protecting the Sangha from unnecessary suspicion or criticism. It also shows the strict discipline of monastic life, which is the foundation for respect and trust from the community.
Main Content
According to the Pātimokkha rules, monastics should not enter a village at improper times, especially at hours when people are sleeping or engaged in private activities. Specifically, entering a village at times such as the unclear early dawn, or late at night after the sun has set, is regarded as inconsistent with the discipline of the Sangha.
The principal reason is to avoid suspicion or criticism from the community. When a monastic appears at an improper time, even with good intentions, the people may misunderstand. This affects not only the personal honor of that monastic, but also damages the image of the entire Sangha.
This rule is also related to the principle of the “three things to be avoided” in the conduct of monastics: avoiding actions that may arouse doubt, avoiding unsafe places, and avoiding unclear dealings. Observing appropriate hours when entering a village is one way of carrying out this principle.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.