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Capucapukāraka Sutta (The Sutta on Chewing Gum)

Background

The Capucapukāraka Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, a sacred part of the Theravāda Buddhist canon. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of monastic rules and discipline, laid down by the Buddha to maintain the purity of the Sangha and guide disciples along the path to liberation.

This text concerns regulations on the daily conduct of bhikkhus, those who have gone forth according to the Buddha-Dharma. Specifically, it turns around the matter of chewing certain substances, especially gum or resinous substances (capu, referring to natural gums). The appearance of this rule reflects the concern of the Buddha and the early Sangha for maintaining wakefulness and restraint of the senses, fundamental principles in Buddhist practice.

Main Content

In the spirit of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this text addresses the chewing of gum or similar substances as an action not regarded as appropriate to the monastic life of a bhikkhu. This conduct is considered a breach of discipline because it involves seeking pleasure through the senses, specifically the sense of taste, something the Buddha always advised bhikkhus to avoid.

Chewing gum is often done to enjoy flavor or simply to seek pleasure, and this is a form of “indulgence in sensual pleasure” (kāma-sukha-allikānuyoga), one of the ways of nourishing craving that the Buddha advised his disciples to abandon. The text clearly states that bhikkhus should not engage in this activity, because it is contrary to the spirit of the holy life, the strict ethical rules that those gone forth must observe.

This rule does not stop merely at prohibition, but is also part of the training in wisdom (paññā) and sense restraint (indriya-saṃvara), two important factors in the Noble Eightfold Path leading to nirvana.