Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules

Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Sekhiya 22: Not to place the hands on the hips when going to 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 akimbo, sat down amidst the houses … " …


‘Not with arms akimbo will I sit down amidst the houses,’ is a training to be observed."

One should not sit down amidst the houses with the arms akimbo. Whoever out of disrespect, having placed the arms akimbo on one side or on both, sits down amidst the houses, 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 khambhakatā antaraghare nisīdanti … pe …  .


2 "na khambhakato antaraghare nisīdissāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā"ti. (22:167)

3 na khambhakatena antaraghare nisīditabbaṃ. yo anādariyaṃ paṭicca ekato vā ubhato vā khambhaṃ katvā antaraghare nisīdati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.


4 anāpatti—  asañcicca, assatiyā, ajānantassa, gilānassa, vāsūpagatassa, āpadāsu, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

5 dutiyasikkhāpadaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ.