Xct Mu Bi Sk 76Na tate na prapāte na prāgbhāre pātraṁ sthāpayiṣyāma

Na tate na prapāte na prāgbhāre pātraṁ sthāpayiṣyāma

AI Explanation — Inti Dharma
Comparative Vinaya — Tibetan | Number: Xct Mu Bi Sk 76

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Source Status

This scriptural item belongs to the Comparative Vinaya — Tibetan, numbered Xct Mu Bi Sk 76. At present, the original full text of this rule has not been directly collated in the process of compiling the digitized content. The explanation below is therefore not a translation of the original scripture, but an AI presentation based entirely on the descriptive information provided, including the Sanskrit title, sequence number, and position within the comparative Vinaya according to the Tibetan tradition. Readers and researchers should note this before using the content for scholarly or advanced practice purposes.

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Context

This rule belongs to the tradition of Sectarian Canons — Comparative, specifically the Tibetan version of the Comparative Vinaya. It is an item of the Śaikṣa-dharma class (training rules, or rules to be learned), rules concerning the mode of living, deportment, and daily conduct of bhikkhus in the life of the Sangha. Śaikṣa rules in general do not concern grave violations, but mainly regulate small details of conduct that carry deep educational meaning regarding elegance, humility, and mindfulness in every action.

The marker Sk 76 suggests that this is the seventy-sixth rule in the Śaikṣa group of a Vinaya collection belonging to a school transmitted and compared through Tibetan. Various Buddhist schools, such as Dharmaguptaka, Sarvāstivāda, and Mūlasarvāstivāda, each have their own lists of Śaikṣa rules, and modern comparative Vinaya collections aim to align equivalent rules across these traditions for comparative study.

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Content Identifiable from the Descriptive Information

The Sanskrit title of this rule is:

> Na tate na prapāte na prāgbhāre pātraṁ sthāpayiṣyāma

A direct translation from Sanskrit:

• Na — not, no
• tate — on a sloping bank or edge
• na prapāte — not on a steep precipice, a place where it may fall
• na prāgbhāre — not on ground sloping forward or an inclined surface
• pātraṁ — bowl (pātra)
• sthāpayiṣyāma — we shall not place down

The whole sentence may be understood as: “We shall not place the bowl down on the edge of a slope, on a precipice, or on inclined ground.”

This is a specific rule about handling and storing the bowl, the most important implement in the life of a bhikkhu. The bowl is not only an object used for alms round but also bears symbolic meaning regarding the holy life and reliance on the support of donors. This rule instructs that the bowl must be placed on level and safe ground, away from places where it might slip, fall, or break.

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Meaning for Practice

Although at first glance this may seem to be a purely practical rule, protecting the bowl from damage, the depth of practice in this rule is worth contemplating carefully.

First, the bowl is a symbol of fewness of wishes and contentment. Preserving the bowl carefully reflects an attitude that is not careless or negligent toward what one holds in the holy life.

Second, paying attention to where the bowl is placed is itself a practice of mindfulness in action (sampajañña). The bhikkhu is trained always to be aware of the surrounding environment, not hurried, not careless, and not to leave objects in unsafe places.

Third, in the context of the Sangha community, these small rules of deportment create an orderly common life and prevent unnecessary trouble or loss for the community. A broken object or a small incident can cause disturbance and scatter the mind.

Fourth, from the perspective of comparison among schools, the fact that many traditions share the spirit of this rule shows the universality of standards of deportment across sectarian boundaries. This is the valuable point that the Comparative Vinaya aims to present.

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Comparative Note

Because the original full text of rule Xct Mu Bi Sk 76 in the Comparative Vinaya — Tibetan has not yet been fully provided, any more detailed content analysis requires direct consultation of the original Tibetan text together with parallel versions in related school traditions. Researchers should approach this explanation as an orienting starting point, not as an official scholarly reference.

The explanation above is built entirely on analysis of the Sanskrit title and its position in the collection, reflecting an effort to present the material faithfully under conditions of limited source data.