Lzh Dg Bi Pm Sk 81Not Spit at Base of Stupa

SŪTRA ON NOT SPITTING AT THE BASE OF A STUPA

Background

This sūtra is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, reflecting the detailed disciplinary regulations that the Buddha Gotama established for the monastic community. These rules are not arbitrary commands, but are carefully considered guidelines intended to protect the dignity of the Sangha, to honour sacred relics and monuments, and to cultivate purity of mind within the community of monastics.

The stupa (chedi or stūpa) in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition is a sacred symbol. Stupas often enshrine holy relics of Buddhas or noble saints, or are constructed at sites where significant events in the Buddha-Dharma took place. Therefore, reverence toward the stupa is reverence toward the Three Jewels — the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

This sūtra records one item among the Pācittiya (pāṭidesanīya) — offences requiring confession — which governs the proper conduct of bhikkhus at sacred sites. It forms part of the Bhikkhupātimokkha (Pāṭimokkha), the list of training rules that every bhikkhu is bound to observe.

Main Content

This regulation clearly prohibits bhikkhus from spitting at the base of a stupa. Such an act is regarded as disrespectful toward sacred monuments and relics, and therefore constitutes a violation of the virtue and dignity befitting a monastic practitioner.

Within the context of the Pāṭimokkha, this regulation is not intended as a harsh punishment, but rather as a guideline for reforming unwholesome mental tendencies and encouraging reverential conduct. A bhikkhu who commits this offence must confess it before the assembly of the Sangha, thereby cultivating awareness of his improper action, and continues his practice with a greater degree of mindfulness and care.

This rule also reflects a broader principle found throughout the Vinaya: reverence toward the three sacred domains — the stupa, the shrine (cetiya), and places of worship and veneration.