Xct Mu Bi Pm Pc 63Entering a Village at the Wrong Time
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vikālagāmappavisana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Interpretation of the Vikālagāmappavisana Discourse
Entering a Village at an Inappropriate Time
Context
This discourse is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pācittiya section of the disciplinary code. The Vinaya Piṭaka consists of the rules of practice that the Blessed Buddha established for the community of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in order to protect their spiritual intention, maintain harmony in the monastic body, and create a foundation of trust with lay society.
The rules in the Pācittiya section are violations requiring confession before other bhikkhus. The Vikālagāmappavisana discourse, entering a village at an inappropriate time, arose from a specific event when bhikkhus entered a village late in the afternoon or at an unsuitable hour, making their conduct improper according to the rules of conduct and negatively affecting the image of the Sangha Jewel.
Main Content
According to the Pāli Canon tradition, when a bhikkhu enters a village at a time not properly prescribed, chiefly at dusk or late at night, this is considered conduct lacking propriety. The reason is that at such hours it is difficult for a bhikkhu to carry out tasks of practice or teaching the Dharma suitably; at the same time, the presence of a bhikkhu late at night easily gives rise to speculation and suspicion among laypeople regarding the true motive of the visit.
This rule is not an absolute prohibition, but it reflects the wisdom of the Buddha-Dharma: a bhikkhu should arrange the time of his actions so that everything takes place clearly, transparently, and without giving rise to suspicion. Entering a village at a suitable time, chiefly in the daytime or early evening, allows the bhikkhu to meet with the community, receive alms food and necessary requisites naturally, and also creates an opportunity to teach the Dharma in a clear and open setting.
Practical Meaning
The Vikālagāmappavisana discourse teaches that monastics need to be aware of the appropriateness of time (kāla) and circumstance (nimitta) in every action.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.