Lzh Sarv Bu Pm 2 Sk 84Walking Behind
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pacchatogamana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Pacchatogamana Scripture (Walking Behind)
Context
The Pacchatogamana scripture is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the body of rules for study and practice of the Early Buddhist Sangha. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of rules, but detailed guidance on the way of life of monks, nuns, and even laypeople with faith. This scripture reflects specific situations that arose in the earliest community of practice, when the Buddha was still living.
Pacchatogamana (pacchatogamana = pacchatā: behind + gamana: going) refers to a situation concerning how to behave when walking behind someone, or when acting under another's guidance. This is a detail that may seem small but has deep meaning in terms of etiquette, discipline, and respect in the Sangha community.
Main Content
In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this scripture relates to rules on how monastics conduct themselves when traveling together. In particular, it refers to situations in which one monk must walk behind another, such as when an experienced or higher-ranking monk leads the way.
The scripture teaches that when following someone, one should not arbitrarily pass ahead without permission or without a valid reason. This is not only a matter of order, but also an expression of inner discipline. Observing this rule helps maintain harmony in the community of practice.
Another aspect is the matter of integrity (sīla) and self-awareness (sati). When walking behind, the practitioner must maintain mindfulness and observe their own motives. There should be no arrogance, no attempt to stand out or gain the upper position. This is an opportunity to train humility and respect toward those of greater virtue or deeper experience in practice.
The scripture also suggests cases of allowance or exceptions: if the person walking in front is ill, or if there is danger on the road, then rearranging the order is reasonable. But such decisions must be considered carefully, not made out of self-importance or ambition.
🌏 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.