Ka Bu Pm Sk 83Shoes

Exposition of the Pāduka Sutta (Shoes)

Context

The Pāduka Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, in the Khandaka section, which contains regulations related to aspects of monastic life. The legal suttas in this Piṭaka were established by the Buddha Śākyamuni and his disciples on the basis of specific situations arising in the earliest community of practice.

The matter of shoes or sandals (pāduka), that is, kinds of footwear protecting the feet, may seem small, but it reflects deep principles concerning the life of a bhikkhunī or bhikkhu, those who have gone forth. In ancient India, wearing shoes or sandals was an expression of social status, ideas about property, and the way human beings related to the material world around them.

This sutta arose from practical situations when monastics needed clear guidance on how to use and preserve basic objects for health and safety while practicing in monasteries or during journeys for teaching.

Main Content

According to the Vinaya tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka states that monastics are permitted to use footwear to protect the feet from environmental harms, such as hot ground, sharp stones, poisonous insects, and other obstacles. However, the choice and use of these objects must not be careless or lax.

The Pāduka rule does not prohibit monastics from wearing shoes. Instead, it establishes principles for proper use. Permitted footwear must be simple, not luxurious, not made from precious materials, and not lavishly decorated. This reflects the principle of minimalism: using only what is necessary for health and safety, not for aesthetics or the display of status.

Moreover, this legal sutta also instructs monastics on how to preserve and respect the requisites they use. A monastic must actively care for his or her footwear, not leaving it filthy or unnecessarily damaged, because that reflects a lack of respect for conveniences provided by the monastic community or by donors.