Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 96Going Wandering

CĀRIKANAPAKKAMANA DISCOURSE — EXPLANATION OF DEPARTING TO WANDER ACCORDING TO RULE

Background

The Cārikanapakkamana discourse (Going Wandering) is found in the Pācittiya section, one of the five parts of the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka. The Vinaya Piṭaka consists of the rules of life and discipline that the Buddha established for the Sangha in order to preserve harmony, purity, and focus in practice.

This discourse concerns the act of traveling by female renunciants (bhikkhunī, nuns) in the world. Cārikanapakkamana means “the departure for wandering,” an activity common in the early Buddhist tradition, when monastics traveled to study the Dharma, hear teachings, or practice meditation in different places.

In the context of Early Buddhism, the idea of “wandering” (cārika) is not merely geographical movement, but also reflects the spirit of renunciation: freedom, non-attachment to a fixed dwelling place, in order to nourish a transcendent mind. However, this freedom must be governed by specific rules to ensure that wandering does not become indulgence or laxity in discipline.

Main Content

The Cārikanapakkamana discourse sets forth prohibitions and requirements when female renunciants or bhikkhus are preparing to depart on a journey. The main principles include:

First, when one intends to go wandering, the practitioner must inform the community or the person managing the monastery. This transparency is not to restrict freedom, but to maintain order and ensure the safety of both the individual and the community.

Second, the practitioner must not go secretly without informing others, because this violates the trust of the community and breaches the principle of “communal harmony” (saṅghasāmaggī). This discipline is a Pācittiya, a minor offense requiring confession before the Sangha.

Third, wandering must be undertaken with a pure mind, not because of craving, excessive fondness for freedom, or in order to avoid the responsibilities of practice.