Lzh Mg Bi Pm Sk 64Sandals
Pāli / Sanskrit:Upāhanāruḷha
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Upāhanāruḷha Discourse: The Matter of Sandals and Shoes in the Vinaya Piṭaka
Background
The Upāhanāruḷha discourse (translated: “The Matter of Sandals and Shoes”) appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically among the pātimokkha rules (rules of expiation or regulations concerning wrongful action). This discourse is not a direct sermon, but a subsection within the detailed disciplinary rules on the conduct of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs.
The Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled to record the occasions when the Buddha laid down monastic rules after his disciples had committed offenses. Each rule has an origin story (aitihāsa), explaining the circumstances that led the Buddha to establish it. The Upāhanāruḷha discourse concerns matters that may seem small but are very important for the manner of life within the monastic community.
Main Content
This discourse revolves around the rule concerning wearing another monastic’s sandals or shoes. According to records in the Vinaya Piṭaka, some bhikkhus wore one another’s sandals without permission, causing disputes and disharmony in the Sangha. When the Buddha learned of this, he taught and established the rule: a bhikkhu may not wear another bhikkhu’s sandals or shoes without permission.
This rule sounds simple, but it reflects a profound principle of respect for communal and personal property within the monastic community. Each Sangha practitioner has essential requisites (paccaya) that not everyone may freely share. Taking and using another’s property without permission violates the principle of “not taking what is not given” (adinnadāna), one of the five basic precepts (pañcasīla).
The discourse also points out that actions which seem minor, if not carefully governed, can lead to possessiveness, jealousy, and division. This is why the Vinaya Piṭaka gives attention to such details: to protect purity of mind and harmonious relationships among members of the Sangha.
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