San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Sk 17Well-Restrained
Pāli / Sanskrit:Susaṁvuta
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THE SUSAṀVUTA SUTTA (WELL-RESTRAINED)
Background
The Susaṁvuta Sutta is part of the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha-Dharma. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of the Buddha’s rules and teachings for the Sangha, established to maintain purity and harmony in the monastic community. This sutta belongs to the teachings on restraint (saṁvara), that is, self-control and restraint of one’s actions, speech, and mind.
The historical background of this sutta is connected with specific situations that the Buddha witnessed, or with reports of events within the Sangha. The regulations on being "well-restrained" are not unreasonable strict impositions, but practical measures intended to protect the spiritual life of monastics and maintain reverence for the Dharma.
Main Content
The concept of "Susaṁvuta" (well-restrained, or "well enclosed") refers to monastics or a monastic community that observes the rules in their fullness. This "restraint" here includes four main fields: restraint of the senses (indriya-saṁvara), restraint in morality (sīla-saṁvara), restraint in eating (bhojana-saṁvara), and restraint in wakefulness or intention (jāgariyā-saṁvara).
Restraint of the senses means limiting the impact of the five senses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body) upon objects that arouse desire, anger, or delusion. A monk who is "well-restrained" does not let his eyes roam over images that arouse sensual passion, does not listen to troubling speech, does not crave flavors, and does not touch objects of sensual desire.
Restraint in morality is the full observance of the five basic precepts (Pañcasīla) or the deeper precepts to which monastics have committed themselves. This includes not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, and not using intoxicants or substances that cause heedlessness.
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