Lzh Sarv Ve 1aVinaya Ekottara 1a

Exposition of the Vinaya Ekottara 1a Sūtra

Background

Vinaya Ekottara, the Increasing-One Vinaya, belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon. It is a collection of teachings on discipline (Vinaya) arranged in progressive sequence from “one” to “ten.” It is an important supplement to the Patimokkha and the Khandhas, the detailed divisions of the discipline, helping bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, and students of the Buddha Dharma understand more clearly the principles of ethical practice.

The sūtra opens with the rules of “one” (ekottara), that is, the first single items in the system of Buddhist Vinaya learning. These form the foundation for moving on to more complex rules. This collection was taught in order to educate the community of monks and nuns in self-restraint (samvara), self-control (danda), and observance beginning from the most basic aspects of the holy life.

Main Content

Vinaya Ekottara 1a begins with teachings on “one” (eka), the single, indivisible principles in the practice of Vinaya. These texts emphasize that there are single acts, words, or thoughts which, if committed by a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī, lead to the gravest consequences.

According to the Pāli tradition, these rules include offenses of defeat (Pārājika), major faults leading to permanent exclusion from the Sangha. The sūtra makes clear that although the Buddha Dharma is vast and compassionate, there are absolute boundaries that cannot be crossed. A bhikkhu who commits one of the four Pārājika offenses no longer belongs to the Sangha, like a lotus whose root has been cut and cannot sprout again.

In addition, the sūtra also refers to other “one” categories: one should not be alone in a secluded place with a woman, should not utter words with lustful intent, and should not be greedy for unworthy material things. Though these are not Pārājika offenses, they are also single dangers of which monastics must remain constantly vigilant.