Bi Pc 114114. Sitting down on an upper story
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vehāsakuṭi
A nun who uses a bed with unfastened legs on an unplanked upper storey of a hut belonging to the Order must confess the offense.
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Vehāsakuṭi: The Bhikkhunī and the Virtue of Careful Conduct
Background
This rule is recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the collection of precepts established specifically for bhikkhunīs (female monastics) in the Theravāda tradition. Vehāsakuṭi (ve-hā-sa-ku-ṭi) means "an upper-story chamber without a planked floor," referring to a type of construction common in ancient India, where an upper floor was built upon wooden posts with a surface of earth or mud, rather than solid wooden planking.
This rule arose in the context of the Buddha and the original monastic community establishing communal dwellings for female monastics. Its primary purpose was not to prohibit comfort, but to protect the physical safety of bhikkhunīs and to preserve the integrity of the Sangha's communal property.
Main Content
When a bhikkhunī uses a bed with unfastened legs (avihata-pāda) on an upper story without solid wooden planking that belongs to the Sangha, she incurs an offense (āpatti) and must confess it (āpatti vuṭṭhāna).
This rule carries several profound implications. First, a bed with unfastened legs can very easily slide on a soft or unsteady floor, posing a danger to the user. Second, it may also damage the upper-story floor, causing the supporting posts to shift or structural members to warp, thereby affecting the integrity of the entire building. Third, such carelessness reflects a mind not sufficiently alert to the shared living environment.
It is important to note that this rule does not prohibit bhikkhunīs from residing in upper-story rooms or from using beds. It simply requires that, in such rooms, they use beds whose legs are fastened (sathavika), or else refrain from using unfastened-legged beds on floors without solid planking. The rule reflects a balance between the practice of the Dharma and living with responsibility toward communal property.
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