Bu Pc 4949. Staying more than three days with an army
Pāli / Sanskrit:Senāvāsa
A monk who stays with an army for more than three nights must confess the offense.
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Sutta Bu Pc 49: The Monk Dwelling with the Army
Background
In the Pāli Canon, particularly in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the regulations governing the conduct of monks were established on the basis of specific historical circumstances. Bu Pc 49 (Bhikkhu Pācittiya 49), bearing the Pāli title Senāvāsa, arose in the context of the Buddha's observing the dangers that monks encountered when dwelling among an army or at a military encampment.
In the time of the Buddha, armed conflicts occurred frequently among the kingdoms and city-states of India. Monks who entered a military environment risked being drawn into violent activities, or being regarded as having ties to one of the warring parties, thereby forfeiting the respect and confidence of the wider community. Moreover, the military environment was generally considered to be of low moral character, with the prevalence of intoxicants, disorder, and violence.
This rule was therefore established to protect the spiritual purity of monks and to preserve the good reputation of the Sangha.
Main Content
Bu Pc 49 stipulates: Whatever monk remains with an army—or at a military encampment—for three nights or more than three nights, that monk commits a Pācittiya offense (that is, an offense of expiation—pācittiya—which must be confessed or cleared before the assembly).
"Army" here is understood as an organized military force, comprising units of elephants, cavalry, chariots, and infantry. "Remaining" means staying at the same location or in close proximity to the army for a continuous period of time.
The purpose of this offense is not punitive, but to encourage monks to exercise self-restraint in their conduct. If a monk unintentionally remains for one or two nights, that constitutes an inadvertent lapse insufficient to be regarded as an offense. However, when the stay extends beyond three nights, the action becomes voluntary and intentional, and must therefore be met with an offense.
Practical Significance
This sutta is not merely an administrative rule within the Sangha.
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