Xct Mu Bi Pc 30Seeing a Mobilized Army

Explanation of the Uyyuttasenā Discourse (Seeing a Mobilized Army)

Background

The Uyyuttasenā discourse is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, especially in the Pātimokkha, the basic rules of moral practice for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. This discourse appears in the context of the Buddha instructing his disciples on how to preserve mindfulness when encountering phenomena that cause distraction.

The title “Uyyuttasenā” (mobilized army) does not speak of war in a literal sense, but is a metaphor for forces that disturb the mind, “forces” capable of undermining concentration and wisdom. In the Vinaya context, this is a teaching that reminds the practitioner’s mind that indulgence in sense pleasure and attention to external phenomena lead to violations of the Vinaya.

Main Content

The discourse teaches that when a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī sees a mobilized army, whether an actual marching force or merely an image that gives rise to strong emotions, one should not give rise to desire, fear, or excitement. This violates the spirit of practice because it turns mindfulness away from the aim of liberation.

The Vinaya teaches that practitioners should maintain indriyasaṃvara, guarding of the faculties, that is, not allowing the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind to be led by sense objects. When encountering powerful sights such as assembled military forces, a practitioner should not let the mind be drawn in, judge, or generate thoughts connected with comparison, competition, or fear.

Specifically, the discourse emphasizes that monastics need to maintain mindfulness (sati) clearly and sustain clear comprehension (sampajañña) of the temporary and impermanent nature of all phenomena. However many forces an army may have, however powerful it may be, they remain flowing phenomena without any enduring essence; this is what the monastic needs to recognize clearly.

Practical Meaning

The practical meaning of this discourse extends beyond the ancient Vinaya context.