Lzh Mg Bu Pm Sk 27Stuffing Cheeks
Pāli / Sanskrit:Avagaṇḍakāraka
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Commentary on the Avagaṇḍakāraka Sutta
Background
The Avagaṇḍakāraka Sutta (that is, the sutta concerning the stuffing of the cheeks) appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, within the section on training rules (Sikkhāpada) for Bhikkhunis — Buddhist nuns. The context of the sutta concerns improper conduct among nuns during the time of the Buddha Gotama.
The Vinaya Piṭaka, also known as the Vinaya, is the collection of rules governing monastic practice and internal discipline within the Buddhist Sangha. Unlike the Suttas, which focus on doctrine, the Vinaya establishes specific rules for daily conduct, with the aim of preserving the purity of the monastic community and maintaining respect from the wider world. The Avagaṇḍakāraka Sutta falls within the context of regulations concerning bodily conduct among nuns.
Main Content
The Avagaṇḍakāraka addresses the act of stuffing food or any substance into the cheeks without swallowing it, or of holding something in the mouth without eating it immediately. This act is examined in the context of the practice of discipline and self-restraint in monastic life.
According to the regulations of the Vinaya Piṭaka, nuns should eat and drink with mindfulness (sati) and restraint of the sense faculties (indriya saṃvara). The act of stuffing the cheeks is not a proper manner of eating; it reflects a lack of self-control, a lack of mindfulness, and may be associated with motivations such as greed, ostentation, or an undisciplined character. This is of particular importance for those who have gone forth into homelessness, having renounced ordinary life in pursuit of liberation.
The sutta does not pass judgment but simply takes note: when a nun engages in such behavior, the monastic community should recognize it as conduct unbecoming of one who outwardly practices the Buddha-Dharma. This is a characteristic example of how the Vinaya Piṭaka operates — not through abstract and difficult precepts, but through practical illustrations that help monastics reflect upon their own conduct.
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