Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Sk 83Not Spit Around Stupa

Scripture on Not Spitting Around a Stupa

Background

This scripture belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, where rules of virtue and discipline in the Buddhist Sangha are preserved. The regulations in the Vinaya are not merely prohibitions, but tools that help practitioners lighten greed, hatred, and delusion, the three root obstacles of suffering.

The scripture on not spitting around a stupa reflects deep respect for places of worship connected with the Buddha and the noble Sangha. A stupa is not only a material architectural structure, but a symbol of the Three Jewels, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and of nirvana, the final goal of practice. Maintaining cleanliness and purity around a stupa is inseparable from daily ethics.

The Buddha established these rules to nurture the purity of his disciples’ minds and protect the reverence of the Buddhist community. Every small action, even spitting, affects one’s own state of mind and those around one.

Main Content

The scripture prescribes that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must not spit around a stupa. This act is considered disrespectful (asādhāraṇa) toward a sacred place of worship. Practitioners are encouraged to maintain personal hygiene reverently while also respecting the sacred spaces within the Sangha community.

This rule applies not only to monastics, but indirectly guides all who follow the Buddhist path in how to conduct themselves toward sacred places. The physical purity surrounding the stupa reflects inner spiritual purity. The Vinaya is built on this foundation: outward action reflects inward mindfulness (sati).

When a bhikkhu violates this rule, it is not merely a material fault, but a lack of the sustaining breath of compassion and a lack of heedfulness (appamāda) in each moment.