San Mg Bu Pm Sk 62Off the Path
Pāli / Sanskrit:Uppathenagamana
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UPPATHENAGAMANA SUTTA (GOING OFF THE MAIN ROAD)
Explanation According to the Theravāda Tradition
Background
The Uppathenagamana Sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Saṅghādisesa section of the Bhikkhu Pāṭimokkha. It is not a discourse of doctrinal preaching, but a disciplinary precedent used to illustrate violations of conduct and discipline within the Sangha community.
In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, precedents are recorded to educate bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs about which actions are regarded as unsuitable for the renunciant life. This sutta concerns a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī going off the main road, which may be understood as violating regulations regarding routes of travel, places of residence, or activities not permitted to a practitioner.
Main Content
According to the Theravāda tradition, the precedent of “Uppathenagamana” (going off the main road) usually refers to a situation in which a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī leaves the main road to enter dark, secluded places or to be alone with persons of the opposite sex without a legitimate reason. This is regarded as conduct that can arouse suspicion, damage the honor of the Sangha, and lead to more serious violations.
According to Saṅghādisesa, offenses that must be resolved through the monastic community, this action requires bhikkhus to disclose their violation before the community, undertake penance (mañatti), and submit to the supervision of the Sangha. This is not the highest category of offense (Pārājika), but it still requires serious remedial measures in order to maintain the purity of the monastic life.
This sutta expresses the Theravāda ideal of purity (sīla), not only in outward action but also in inner intention and in the circumstances one creates.
Practical Meaning
The Uppathenagamana Sutta teaches us that a practitioner should not only avoid obvious wrongs, but should also avoid situations, places, and times that could damage the honor of the Sangha or of oneself. This concerns caution and wakefulness toward latent conditions.
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