Bi Sk 7171. Walking behind
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pacchatogamana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
SCRIPTURE EXPLANATION: PACCHATOGAMANA (WALKING BEHIND)
Background
The Pacchatogamana appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga section, which is a collection of ethical training rules for monks in the early Buddhist Sangha. The Vinaya Piṭaka records specific incidents that occurred during the life of the Buddha, from which he established precepts to guide the conduct of his disciples.
The incident concerning walking behind another person arose when monks or nuns wished to follow behind the Buddha or other venerable and respected elders. Questions about how to move, what distance to maintain, and the proper attitude of respect in such situations led the Buddha to set forth clear principles. These are not regulations that might appear trivial; rather, they are concrete expressions of reverence, humility, and self-discipline.
Main Content
The Pacchatogamana stipulates that when a monk needs to move behind someone worthy of respect, the proper practice is to walk at an appropriate distance behind that person. One should not walk so close as to crowd them, nor so far away as to lose contact. This act reflects reverence and humility—the one walking behind acknowledges his subordinate role in relation to the one walking ahead.
This rule is closely connected to other aspects of the Vinaya: the manner of speaking, the manner of sitting, and whether one takes an active or passive role in social interaction. All of these are aimed at building a Sangha of high discipline, in which each member clearly understands his position, role, and responsibilities.
Exceptions are also set forth: if the path is narrow, if the weather is poor, or if there are other legitimate reasons, the one walking behind may reasonably adjust his practice. This shows that the Vinaya is not a set of rigid rules, but rather wise guidelines capable of adapting to actual circumstances.
Practical Significance
Walking behind is not merely a matter of geography or bodily posture.
🌏 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.