Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Sekhiya 17: Not to swing the arms when sitting in inhabited areas.
- Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner.
… in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the group of six monks, their arms swaying, went amidst the houses, bending their arms … " …
‘Not swaying the arms will I go amidst the houses,’ is a training to be observed."
One should not go amidst the houses swaying the arms. One should go holding the arms straight. Whoever out of disrespect, the arms swaying, goes amidst the houses bending the arms, there is an offence of wrong-doing.
There is no offence if it is unintentional, if he is not thinking, if he does not know, if he is ill, if he has gone into residence for the rains, if there are accidents, if he is mad, if he is the first wrong-doer.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bāhuppacālakaṃ antaraghare gacchanti bāhuṃ olambentā … pe … .
2 "na bāhuppacālakaṃ antaraghare gamissāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā"ti. (17:162)
3 na bāhuppacālakaṃ antaraghare gantabbaṃ. bāhuṃ paggahetvā gantabbaṃ. yo anādariyaṃ paṭicca bāhuppacālakaṃ antaraghare gacchati bāhuṃ olambento, āpatti dukkaṭassa.