Lzh Dg Bu Pm Sk 62Not Enter Stupa With Shoes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not enter stupa with shoes
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Discourse on “Not Entering a Stupa Wearing Shoes”
Background
In the Theravāda Vinaya tradition, rules of etiquette for showing reverence to sacred places form an important part of the Pātimokkha and of the regulations governing bodily conduct. This discourse is recorded in the context of the Buddha, the Blessed One, and his bhikkhu disciples observing specific instructions intended to protect reverence for Buddhist structures, especially the Buddha’s stupa (stūpa).
During the Buddha’s lifetime, stupas were places toward which the mind was directed in worship and dedication of merit, containing relics of the Dharma-body or bodily remains of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and noble members of the Sangha. Therefore, the Blessed One established standards of conduct at such places in order to maintain solemnity, purity, and the expression of devotion. The rule not to wear shoes when entering a stupa is a concrete expression of this principle.
Main Content
The discourse states that bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, and also lay Buddhist practitioners should not wear shoes or sandals inside a stupa or when ascending a stupa. This is not a prohibition of the Pārājika or Saṅghādisesa class, but a rule of etiquette carrying a disciplinary recommendation, such as dukkaṭa or thullaccaya depending on the degree of violation.
The reason for this rule is broad within the psychology of practice: the stupa is a symbol of the Buddha and the Dharma, a place where the Buddhas of the three times, the Dharma, and the Sangha converge. Not wearing shoes or sandals is a way of expressing humility and of marking the difference between the worldly and the sacred. Shoes and sandals carry dust and the dirt of the world; removing them before entering is a symbolic act, cleansing the mind of defilements, arrogance, and irreverence.
Bhikkhus who observe this are practicing sīla, moral discipline, one of the three basic kinds of action: body, speech, and mind. Through this bodily action, the practitioner trains awareness (sati), mindfulness of each step and each breath, a step on the path of the Noble Eightfold Path.
Practical Meaning
This rule is not only about physical hygiene, but also about spiritual education.
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