Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 67Itch Bandage

Commentary on the Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi Sutta (The Sutta on the Bandage for Itching)

Background

The Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi Sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Pārājika section—the foremost rules governing the conduct of monastics. This sutta appears in the context of the Buddha and his disciples living in the outskirts of towns or in forested areas, where monastics had to contend with practical difficulties in their daily lives.

The situation presented concerns a monastic who suffered from itching or a skin rash. Under conditions of austere living, the monastic sought to relieve this discomfort by means of whatever was available. This sutta records the Buddha's guidance on how to handle such a situation in a manner befitting the practice and the vast discipline of the Sangha.

Principal Content

Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi—from "kaṇḍu" (itching) and "paṭicchādi" (covering, wrapping)—refers to the use of bandages or cloth wrappings to protect areas of itching or damaged skin. The Buddha permitted monastics to make use of such materials for the purpose of treatment, but with clearly defined conditions.

The fundamental principle is this: a monastic is permitted to use materials to protect the body only when necessary for medical treatment, not for the sake of aesthetic appearance or adornment. Such use must be carried out with mindfulness, without misuse or excessive attachment to physical comfort.

This sutta also relates to the general principle in the Vinaya regarding the care of bodily health: monastics are permitted to employ reasonable means to maintain their health, but must not fall into the extreme of indulgence or the extreme of excessive self-mortification. This is the Middle Way (majjhimā paṭipadā), just as the Buddha taught.

Practical Significance

The Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi Sutta teaches that care of the body is a legitimate part of the Buddhist path, but it must be undertaken with mindfulness and without attachment.