San Lo Bi Vb Ss 5Walking Alone to the Next Village

Walking Alone to the Next Village

Ekagāmantara — AI Explanation (Inti Dharma)

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Source Status

This is an AI explanation compiled by Inti Dharma, not a full-text translation from the original canon. The text entry bearing the identifier San Lo Bi Vb Ss 5 belongs to the Comparative Vinaya — Sanskrit collection within the tradition of Sectarian Scriptures · Comparative. At the time of composition, the corresponding full Sanskrit source text had not been directly collated in the system. Therefore, what is presented below is drawn from the available descriptive information, including the Vietnamese title, English title, and Sanskrit name, combined with a general understanding of the genre of comparative Vinaya. Readers should note this boundary and consult the original text when detailed verification is needed.

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Background

The Comparative Vinaya — Sanskrit is a scholarly and practical undertaking that places the disciplinary rules of various Buddhist schools side by side in order to compare and analyze similarities and differences. This is an important field in modern Buddhist studies, because different schools, after the period of sectarian division from around the third century BCE onward, developed disciplinary norms that are similar in core but differ in wording, classification, and degree of strictness.

The Sanskrit name Ekagāmantara (एकगामन्तर) is composed of the elements eka (alone, solitary), gāma (village, settlement), and antara (distance, interval, next). Its literal meaning is “the interval of one village” or “going alone to the next village,” directly reflecting the Vietnamese title Đi Một Mình Đến Làng Kế and the English title Walking Alone to the Next Village. This is a legal term in the Vinaya, often appearing in provisions related to bhikkhus or novices traveling, journeying, or spending the night outside their regular residence.

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Content That Can Be Identified from the Descriptive Information

From the title and the genre context of comparative Vinaya, several general points may be identified as follows:

1. Central theme: This rule or regulation concerns the act of going alone across the distance between two villages, that is, the journey of a renunciant from one village to the next without a companion. In many Vinayas, this conduct is specifically regulated in order to protect personal safety, preserve the dignity of the practitioner, and avoid misunderstandings among laypeople or the faithful.

2. Comparative nature: Since this is part of a Comparative Vinaya collection, this entry may present how different sectarian traditions regulate the same situation: going alone between villages. The comparison shows that the original rule very likely appears in many versions of the Vinaya, and this comparative collection places them side by side so that scholars and practitioners may see both the common and the particular features of each school.

3. Scope of application: The situation of “walking alone to the next village” is often connected with regulations concerning the times one is permitted to leave one’s residence, the need for a companion in certain circumstances, or the geographic limits within which a renunciant may move freely without notification or permission.

4. Classification marker Ss: In Vinaya classification, the marker Ss is often used as an abbreviation for a specific group of training rules. However, because the descriptive information does not clearly confirm the full name of this subdivision, readers should not arbitrarily infer any specific category.

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Meaning for Study and Practice

The rule concerning walking alone between villages has profound meaning on many levels:

In terms of disciplinary practice: One who has gone forth lives in a Sangha community not merely to practice in isolation, but also to live under mutual supervision and mutual support. Traveling alone, especially through areas between villages, places that may be deserted and may cause suspicion or danger, is conduct that needs careful regulation. The discipline protects the practitioner not only from external danger, but also protects the dignity and image of the Sangha in the eyes of society.

In terms of psychology and realization: Self-willed or unregulated solitude can lead to circumstances unfavorable to the holy life. The Vinaya often clearly distinguishes between intentional seclusion for meditation and unguarded solitude in everyday situations.

In terms of comparative teaching: Studying the Comparative Vinaya helps practitioners and scholars recognize that the basic spirit of the Vinaya, protecting the Sangha, nurturing the holy life, and serving liberation, is common to all traditions, even though the forms of regulation may differ according to cultural and geographic context.

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Comparative Note

The full Sanskrit canonical text corresponding to the entry San Lo Bi Vb Ss 5 had not been directly collated in the Inti Dharma system at the time of composition. The information presented here is based only on descriptive information, including the identifier, titles in three languages, and collection classification. Researchers who wish to investigate more deeply should consult the original Sanskrit texts directly or specialized critical academic editions of the comparative Vinaya of the Buddhist schools.