San Lo Bi Vb Np 14Collecting Bowls
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pattasannicaya
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Pattasannicaya Rule (Vinaya Piṭaka)
Background
The Pattasannicaya rule (Pattasannicaya Vb Np 14) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon and is one of the regulations concerning the use and management of essential requisites of monks and nuns. “Patta” means an alms bowl, and “sannicaya” means gathering or accumulation. This rule records regulations concerning how monastics should own, care for, and use the alms bowl.
This background arose during the Buddha’s lifetime, when the monastic community grew and needed specific regulations to protect the spirit of solitary practice, non-accumulation of possessions, cleanliness, and communal order. The alms bowl is not only a working implement but also a symbol of the pure monastic life, free from intentional possession.
Main Content
The Pattasannicaya rule prescribes how many bowls a male monastic (bhikkhu) or female monastic (bhikkhunī) should own, what kind of bowl is appropriate, how it should be cared for, and when an old bowl may be replaced with a new one. According to the Theravāda tradition, each monk or nun should have only one bowl made from permitted materials, such as wood or metal other than gold or silver. The bowl must be of moderate size, neither too large nor too small, so it can be easily carried on the daily almsround.
Only when the old bowl is broken or no longer usable may monks or nuns obtain a new bowl. However, this is not to be done arbitrarily but must accord with the regulations of the Sangha. If there are special cases, such as losing the bowl or the bowl being severely damaged while away from residence, one should request permission from the community before obtaining a new bowl. This rule also mentions that the bowl should not be left soiled, because the bowl is a sacred implement connected with eating and practice.
A distinctive point is that the rule states that monks and nuns must not conceal or accumulate many bowls, because this contradicts the spirit of freedom from ambition, even in a subtle form of taṇhā. Each bowl obtained must be used rightly, not for display or hoarding.
🌏 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.