Lzh Dg Bi Vb Sk 13Arms Akimbo (2nd)
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyakhambhakata
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Exposition of the Dutiyakhambhakata Sutta
(Vinaya Piṭaka - Second Recitation Section)
Background
The Dutiyakhambhakata Sutta (Khambhakata for the second time) is part of the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Pāli Canon, the most ancient scriptural treasury of Theravāda Buddhism. Within the structure of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this section belongs to the Suttavibhaṅga (Detailed Explanation of the Rules), where specific ethical regulations that bhikkhus must observe are recorded.
The title “Arms Akimbo” (hands crossed on the back/waist) refers to a specific posture or action that the Buddha forbade bhikkhus to perform. This is one among many small yet meaningful regulations for training the body, speech, and mind of bhikkhus in the monastic community (Saṅgha).
Main Content
This sutta records a specific situation in which bhikkhus, in the course of daily life, failed to maintain dignity and right view in their posture while standing or walking. Holding the hands crossed on the back or waist, a careless posture, was observed by the Buddha as unsuitable for the image of a pure bhikkhu and as showing a lack of mindfulness (sati).
This regulation is not because the posture is intrinsically evil, but because it reflects a mental state that is insufficiently wakeful and insufficiently respectful. In the Theravāda tradition, every small action of a bhikkhu should express dedication to practice and respect for the holy Dharma.
The phrase “second” (Dutiya) shows that this regulation is repeated, perhaps for emphasis or to record another similar situation. This manner of recording reflects the compositional method of the Vinaya Piṭaka, where regulations are often presented through specific stories and then extracted into general rules.
Practical Meaning
Although the specific regulation concerning hand posture may be seen as a small detail, its deeper meaning is connected with mindfulness in every moment (samādhi - concentration) and sati - mindfulness in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down (iriyāpatha).
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