Lzh Sarv Bu Pm 2 Pc 18The Upper Story of a Hut
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vehāsakuṭi
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Vehāsakuṭi Sutta (The Hut on an Upper Story)
Background
The Vehāsakuṭi Sutta, provisionally translated as “The Hut on an Upper Story,” is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Pātimokkha section, specifically in the Bhikkhu Pātimokkha under the Pācittiya rules, the lighter offenses requiring confession. This is one of the detailed rules that the Buddha Gotama established to regulate the life of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in the Sangha.
The background of this rule arose from specific events that occurred at Sāvatthi, a great city of Kosala in the early period of the Buddha’s teaching. When bhikkhus lived together in monasteries or temples, they needed to observe strict regulations in order to protect mental concentration, preserve the honor of the Sangha, and avoid misunderstandings among the people.
Main Content
The Vehāsakuṭi Sutta concerns the construction and use of auxiliary structures, especially upper stories or upper levels of huts (kuṭi). The specific content of this sutta has not yet been fully translated in the available master collections; however, according to the general context of the Pātimokkha, this rule concerns the principle that monastics should not build material structures that are too splendid or exceed what is necessary for practice.
Rules in the Vinaya Piṭaka are usually established after one or more bhikkhus have committed an offense. In this case, it is very likely that some bhikkhus built luxurious upper stories, exceeding the simple standard encouraged by the Buddha. With wisdom, the Buddha established the rule to prevent this, in order to maintain the spirit of humility and renunciation in the Sangha.
This rule also reflects a fundamental principle of early Buddhism: monastics should live simply and avoid luxury, so that the mind is not diverted from the true aim of practice: the attainment of arahantship or liberation from suffering, nirvana.
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