Lzh Sarv Bu Pm Pc 54Lying Down With One Not Fully Ordained

Explanation of the Anupasampannasahaseyya Sutta

On Lying Down With One Not Fully Ordained

Background

The Anupasampannasahaseyya rule (Pāli) is a regulation in the Pātimokkha belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition. This rule records regulations concerning the daily life of bhikkhus in the Sangha community, especially actions connected with the character and material conduct of life.

In the early period of Buddhism, the Buddha and his elders laid down these rules after incidents of violation occurred. Each rule (pāṭidesanīya or sikkhāpada) has an origin story — called an āvikaraṇa — describing the specific circumstance that led the Buddha to establish it in order to train the minds of the bhikkhus.

This rule belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka and helps guide clean practice in action, speech, and mind within the Sangha community. These rules are concrete expressions of the training precepts (sikkhāpada) to which bhikkhus commit when going forth.

Main Content

The Anupasampannasahaseyya rule states that a bhikkhu is not permitted to lie down together, sharing a sleeping place, with one who has not received full ordination (anupasampanna = not fully ordained; sahaseyya = lying together on the same bed or in the same place).

Those “not fully ordained” include followers of the Buddha-Dharma who have not formally completed the full ordination rite, or people outside Buddhism. The prohibition arises from the need to protect the integrity of monastic life — preserving the image and sacred character of the community, as well as protecting bhikkhus themselves from suspicion or accusation.

This rule also reflects a basic principle of the Vinaya Piṭaka: maintaining clear boundaries between those who have committed themselves fully to practice according to the Buddha-Dharma and those who have not.