An army: elephants, horses, chariots, infantry. An elephant has twelve men; a horse has three men; a chariot has four men; an infantry unit has four men with arrows in hand. If he is on his way to see it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Wherever he stands to see it, he commits an offense entailing confession. Every time he goes beyond the range of sight and then sees it again, he commits an offense entailing confession. Except if there is a suitable reason: unless there is a suitable reason.

Permutations If it is an army, and he perceives it as such, and he goes to see it, except if there is a suitable reason, he commits an offense entailing confession. If it is an army, but he is unsure of it, and he goes to see it, except if there is a suitable reason, he commits an offense entailing confession. If it is an army, but he does not perceive it as such, and he goes to see it, except if there is a suitable reason, he commits an offense entailing confession. If he is on his way to see one division of a fourfold army, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Wherever he stands to see it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Every time he goes beyond the range of sight and then sees it again, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not an army, but he perceives it as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not an army, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not an army, and he does not perceive it as such, there is no offense.

Non-offenses There is no offense: if he sees it while standing in a monastery; if the army comes to where the monk is standing, sitting, or lying down; if he sees it while walking in the opposite direction; if he has a suitable reason; if there is an emergency; if he is insane; if he is the first offender. The training rule on going to see a mobilized army, the eighth, is finished.

Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law The Great Analysis The chapter on offenses entailing confession The subchapter on naked ascetics Staying more than three days with an army

Origin story