Lzh Mg Bi Pm Sk 49Licking the Bowl
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pattanillehaka
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Licking the Bowl (Pattanillehaka)
Background
The Licking the Bowl sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically within the Pātimokkha — the foundational code of training for bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunīs (nuns). This sutta reflects the practical situations of the monastic community during the time when the Blessed One was still present in the world, when bhikkhus required guidance on handling food in a mindful and decorous manner.
The deeper context of the sutta lies within the training ideal of Theravāda Buddhism: that care in small actions reflects the quality of one's practice of mind. Not every matter in the Vinaya Pitaka concerns a grave transgression; many provisions guide one in living with virtue (sīla) and in demonstrating respect for the law of cause and effect (kamma).
Main Content
The Licking the Bowl sutta revolves around the question: is a bhikkhu permitted to lick his alms bowl after he has finished eating? The specific content of this sutta has not yet been rendered in complete translation; however, based on the context of the Pātimokkha, the Blessed One's answer points toward an important principle: a bhikkhu should restrain the sense faculties and preserve the clarity of mind.
The act of licking the bowl may be examined from two perspectives. First, it pertains to the habit of greed for food (lobha) — one of the three roots of suffering (lobha, dosa, moha). Second, it concerns the matter of discipline (sīla) within the Sangha. Bhikkhus are encouraged to observe modest standards in eating and drinking, not only as a sign of respect for food, but also as a means of cultivating wisdom (paññā) and restraint.
The Vinaya Pitaka emphasizes that the cultivation of virtue consists not in arbitrary restrictions, but in tools of practice. Every rule, however small, serves an instructive purpose: to establish a settled mind (samādhi) and to develop clear seeing (vipassanā).
Practical Significance
The significance of this sutta lies deep in the principle of mindfulness in the actions of daily life.
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