Lzh Sarv Bu Vb Sk 63Evenly All Around

Parimaṇḍala Sutta: In Every Aspect

Background

The Parimaṇḍala Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Pāli Canon, the section of teachings on the discipline of monastic life in the Buddhist community. It is not a discourse of doctrinal teaching like those in the Sutta Piṭaka or Abhidhamma Piṭaka, but consists of concrete rules of conduct, decided by the Buddha or the Sangha in specific situations of collective monastic life.

Parimaṇḍala means "in every aspect" or "evenly all around," indicating the comprehensive and inclusive quality of a regulation concerning standards of conduct or conditions of application. This sutta is recorded in the Vinaya texts of different schools, with content related to the way rules of training are observed evenly, without partiality and without exception in the community of monks and nuns.

Main Content

The specific content of this sutta has not yet been fully translated from the Pāli source. However, based on the context of the early Vinaya Piṭaka, the Parimaṇḍala Sutta concerns principles of equality and consistency in applying the rules of Vinaya to the Sangha.

Usually, the suttas in the Vinaya Piṭaka address specific situations in which bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs violated or observed the regulations. Parimaṇḍala, with the title "in every aspect," emphasizes that a given rule must be applied comprehensively, without exception and without discrimination. This reflects a fundamental principle of the Vinaya: fairness and equality in the community of practice.

According to the Theravāda tradition, these rules were not laid down arbitrarily, but through the confirmation of the Buddha and the consensus of the Sangha. Every rule has a reason, a context in which it arose, and the purpose of protecting harmony, mutual respect, and a favorable environment for practicing the noble path.

Practical Meaning

The Parimaṇḍala Sutta teaches us that in collective monastic life, fairness and equality are essential factors.