San Lo Mvu 19Apparitions

The Sutta of Forms (Apparitions)

Background

The Sutta of Forms is recorded in San Lo Mvu (Saṅghādisesa Pāli) of the Pāli Canon’s Vinaya Piṭaka and is an inseparable part of the administration of the Sangha in the Theravāda tradition. The content of this discourse arises from specific situations that occurred within the community of monks and nuns of the Buddha, when the disciples had not yet fully observed the rules of practice.

The historical picture behind San Lo Mvu is an entire system of detailed regulations issued by the Buddha to maintain the purity and discipline of the Sangha. The Sutta of Forms specifically refers to external forms or visible signs that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs should avoid, actions or expressions that might cause suspicion among laypeople or damage the honor of the Sangha.

Main Content

The Sutta of Forms focuses on an important principle: not only must the actual conduct be pure (param suddha), but outward appearances, the “traces” of conduct, must also be avoided so as not to create suspicion or distrust in the community. This is the concept of “appa-ssaya,” leaving no opportunity for suspicion.

The rules in this discourse include: a bhikkhu should not meet a woman alone in secluded or dark places, and should not leave traces or forms suggesting an improper private encounter. Even actions that seem harmless must be considered if they could be misunderstood or give rise to suspicion.

The spirit of this discourse expresses the Buddha’s philosophy of “khaṇḍa-sīla,” morality without breach: not only avoiding evil actions, but avoiding even their appearance. This is a higher level of practice, when the practitioner not only knows oneself to be pure, but also cares about how others perceive that purity. This reflects the balance between “atta-vedaniya,” what one knows for oneself, and “parato-vedaniya,” what others see.