Mpt Np 15A Sitting-Blanket

Explanation of the Sitting Mat Sutra

Nisīdanasanthata - Mpt Np 15

Background

The Sitting Mat Sutra (Nisīdanasanthata) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, prescribing matters that require forfeiture (Nissaggiya Pācittiya), legal offenses related to giving up an item and declaring wrongdoing. This is one of the detailed rules concerning the management of property and the lifestyle of bhikkhunīs, intended to protect the purity of the nuns’ Sangha.

The background for the formulation of this text arose from the careful governance of the Buddha and the early disciples once the community of nuns had been established. The detailed regulation of daily requisites, including the sitting mat for practice (nisīdana), reflects the aim of building a disciplined community of practitioners, removed from accumulation and heedlessness in daily conduct.

Main Content

The Nisīdanasanthata Sutra lays down prohibitions concerning the sitting mat (nisīdana), a basic implement of practice used in meditation. This mat is usually made of cloth, though other materials such as wool or natural fibers may also be used, and it is used for sitting during periods of meditation or listening to the Dharma.

The main rule of this text concerns the prohibition against a bhikkhunī accumulating or using sitting mats beyond the permitted standard, as well as concealing or failing to declare when one is given or receives such an item. If she violates this, the bhikkhunī must perform nissaggiya, that is, give up or declare the item, and also perform the Pācittiya offense, which requires declaration and confession.

This text also emphasizes the spirit of non-accumulation of possessions (aparigrahavāda), one of the ethical pillars of early Buddhism. The detailed regulation of basic items such as a sitting mat reflects that the Buddhadharma does not overlook the small details of daily life, for that is where mindfulness is trained.