Lzh Dg Bi Vb Sk 82Not Spit Towards Stupa

THE TEXT “NOT SPITTING TOWARD A STUPA”

Background

This text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga (the rules for bhikkhunīs), an important part of the system of Buddhist discipline in the Theravāda tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka records conversations between the Buddha and his disciples when problems of rule violation arose in the Sangha.

This story comes from a specific event during the Buddha’s lifetime. Some bhikkhunīs acted disrespectfully toward stupas, revered structures where sacred relics or the remains of the Buddha and arahants are honored. The act of spitting toward a stupa was considered disrespectful, reflecting an agitated state of mind lacking restraint and respect for sacred objects.

The Buddha, seeing this, issued a Pātimokkha rule for correction and instruction. The Pātimokkha is the code of rules that all bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must observe, proclaimed and reaffirmed periodically during the Uposatha ceremony.

Main Content

The specific content of this text has not been fully translated in the present material, but based on the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this rule states: a bhikkhunī must not spit or cast any impure substance toward stupas. This act belongs to the Pācittiya category, an offense to be expiated through confession before other bhikkhus, or to a similar level.

This rule emphasizes a central principle: respect for sacred objects in Buddhism. The stupa represents the presence of the Buddhadharma and is a place for recollecting the virtue of the Buddha and the noble ones. Therefore, soiling or insulting a stupa is equivalent to insulting the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha).

This rule also reflects the general principle that a practitioner of the Buddhadharma must restrain body, speech, and mind. This restraint (indriya saṃvara) is the foundation of Buddhist ethics.