Lzh Dg Bi Pm Sk 21Lowered Eyes (2nd)
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyaokkhittacakkhu
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Exposition of the Dutiyaokkhittacakkhu Sutta (Lowered Eyes, the Second Occasion)
Background
The Dutiyaokkhittacakkhu Sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the collection of basic rules that bhikkhus must observe. This text is recorded in the context of the Buddha Gotama instructing his disciples on the qualities of mindfulness and conduct in the life of practice. The title “Lowered Eyes” (okkhittacakkhu) appears for a second time, reflecting a recurring pattern in the structure of the Pātimokkha, where teachings are repeated to emphasize their importance.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is not a collection of isolated prohibitions, but an expression of noble spiritual training. Each rule reflects an aspect of ethics (sīla) and is a means for controlling the senses, training the mind, and moving toward liberation.
Main Content
This text focuses on the conduct of guarding the sense faculties, especially sight, one of the subtlest areas of practice. “Lowered Eyes” is not merely about looking downward; it also concerns mindfulness and collectedness (sati).
According to the Theravāda tradition, when a bhikkhu moves about, he should keep his gaze approximately four “spans” ahead, to avoid carelessness and maintain a state of awareness. This is not because of fear of distraction or negligence in a negative sense, but because when the mind “looks far” outwardly, it is easily drawn in by attractive images, losing clarity of thought and collectedness.
Lowering the eyes also reflects the principle of indriyasamvara, “restraint of the sense faculties.” This is one of the fundamental principles in the Sutta Piṭaka, widely taught by the Buddha: not for the purpose of self-torment or denial of the senses, but to free the mind from the bonds that uncontrolled senses can create.
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