Lzh Dg Bi Vb Sk 64Not Go Around Stupa Wearing Shoes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not go around stupa wearing shoes
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The Text on Not Walking Around a Stupa With Shoes or Sandals
Background
This is a Vinaya rule recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This text appears in the context of disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha acting disrespectfully toward stupas, where relics of Buddhas and bodhisattvas are enshrined. The stupa symbolizes the dharmakāya body of the Buddha, a material expression of awakening and an object of supreme veneration in Buddhism.
During the Buddha’s lifetime, bhikkhus at times were careless in their conduct around stupas, especially concerning footwear. This act was considered disrespectful, because shoes and sandals bear the impurities of dust, feces, urine, and other unclean things. On that occasion the Buddha issued a warning, and senior disciples established this rule, which from then became an important part of the Pātimokkha, the declaration of discipline established for the community of bhikkhus.
Main Content
This rule states that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must not walk around a stupa while wearing shoes, sandals, or any kind of covering for the feet. This is not an absolute prohibition against approaching a stupa, but a requirement to remove footwear before performing an act of veneration.
The principle behind this rule is respect and sincerity (saddhā). The stupa represents the treasury of the Dharma Jewel, the teaching and the fruit of awakening. When one walks around a stupa while still wearing footwear, the practitioner appears not to be fully reverent, because the feet are protected by worldly objects. Removing shoes and sandals is a symbolic act of humility, lowering oneself and raising the stupa in one’s awareness.
This rule also reflects a broader principle in the Vinaya: attention to detail in moral commitment.
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