Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 72Douching
Pāli / Sanskrit:Udakasuddhika
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Udakasuddhika Discourse: On Cleanliness With Water
Background
The Udakasuddhika discourse (Udaka = water; Suddhika = cleanliness) is part of the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically belonging to the Pātimokkha Saṃvara. These are detailed regulations that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must follow in daily life.
This code arose from specific events in the community of monks and nuns of the Buddha Gotama. When bhikkhus failed to observe hygiene in the use of water, affecting communal health and violating the principle of non-harming (ahiṁsā), the Buddha established specific regulations concerning cleanliness and the use of water.
Main Content
The Udakasuddhika discourse regulates the use and cleanliness of water, especially water shared in the monastery. This rule is intended to ensure that water used is not polluted by impurities or capable of harming small living beings (sattā) living in the water.
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, when using water, a bhikkhu must first check whether the water remains clean. If water has been polluted, it should not be used, because doing so may harm living beings in the water. This is an expression of Ahiṁsā Pāramī, the perfection of non-harming, one of the virtues cultivated by practitioners of the Buddha’s Dharma.
This rule is also closely related to the Vinaya of the Sangha, because cleanliness is not only a matter of personal hygiene but also a matter of ethics and respect for life. Clean water (suddhika) represents a pure state of mind, not causing harm.
Practical Meaning
The Udakasuddhika discourse is not merely a regulation for managing life in a hermitage. It reflects a core principle of the Buddha’s Dharma: all our actions have consequences (kamma/karma). When we use water heedlessly, without concern for tiny living beings, we violate basic sīla.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.