Bu As 22. Resolution through Recollection
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sativinaya
If a monk is known for his clarity of memory, any accusations against him may be settled through that monk declaring his innocence based on his memory of the relevant events.
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Sativinaya: Resolution of Disputes Through Recollection
Background
The Sativinaya (Sati = recollection; Vinaya = discipline) is found in the Pali Canon, within the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the bu (appendix or supplementary) section. It is one of the disciplinary rules pertaining to the mechanism for resolving disputes within the monastic community of Theravāda Buddhism. The text reflects the vivid context of the earliest Saṅgha, when matters of conduct, discipline, and dispute required resolution in a manner that was both fair and transparent.
During the time of the Buddha, the monastic community grew rapidly. Alongside this growth arose controversies concerning whether monks had or had not observed the rules of discipline. The question that presented itself was how to ascertain the truth when no material evidence was available, and one could only rely upon the testimony of the parties involved. The Sativinaya sets forth a method of resolution — established by the Buddha or the senior monastics — designed to protect personal dignity and preserve trust within the Saṅgha.
Principal Content
The Sativinaya prescribes that if a monk is known for the quality of "clarity of recollection" (satimanta) — that is, the ability to remember events and circumstances clearly and accurately — then, when accused of a particular act, that monk may defend himself by making a declaration of denial based upon his own recollection of the matter in question.
This does not mean that just anyone may use personal testimony to refute an accusation. On the contrary, this is a special privilege reserved for those monks who have demonstrated the reliability and accuracy of their recollection through time and conduct. One recognized as possessing "clear recollection" must be someone whom the community knows to rarely forget or err, and whose recollections are generally accurate.
This method is distinct from the three other means of dispute resolution found in the Vinaya Piṭaka: resolution through a communal assembly, through material evidence, or through the testimony of third-party witnesses.
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