San Mg Bu Pm Sk 2Evenly All Around (2nd)

The Dutiyaparimaṇḍala Rule — On Even Distribution All Around (The Second Time)

Background

This rule is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the section on Butsudhodana Paccaya, the conditions related to the Buddha. Dutiyaparimaṇḍala, “the second circle” or “the second even distribution all around,” appears in the context of regulations concerning the distribution of property, food, and necessary material goods within the Sangha.

This was a period when the Buddhadharma had matured, monastics had increased in number, and practical issues of fairness and order in communal life needed to be clearly regulated. This rule reflects the wisdom of the early Buddhist Sangha in building a community of practice based on the principle of fairness without discrimination.

Main Content

Dutiyaparimaṇḍala concerns the principle of distributing property or food “all around” (parimaṇḍala) evenly and fairly to the entire Sangha. The word “dutiya” (second) suggests that this is a disciplinary method mentioned a second time, or a second variant of a regulation.

In the context of the Vinaya, this emphasizes that there is no favoritism or discrimination in the allocation of necessary requisites. Whether a learned elder or a new member, a senior monastic or one newly gone forth, all have the right to receive an equal share. This principle lies deep in the spirit of early Buddhism: equality and non-discrimination within the community of practitioners.

The “roundness all around” (parimaṇḍala) symbolically suggests that there is no special point or corner: everything is viewed with fairness, like a perfect circle, where every point on the circumference is equally distant from the center.

Practical Meaning

Dutiyaparimaṇḍala is a teaching on collective ethics (saṅghakhandhaka, the aspects of the Sangha). It is not only a ritual regulation but also a profound spiritual practice.