Lzh Mg Bu Pm Sk 33Mouth Full
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sakabaḷa
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THE SAKABAḶA SUTTA (MOUTH FULL)
Background
The Sakabaḷa Sutta is a disciplinary passage within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. It records regulations governing the conduct of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis within the monastic community (Saṅgha). The title "Mouth Full" (Sakabaḷa) employs a concrete image to convey a teaching on self-restraint in eating and conduct.
The Vinaya Piṭaka was established by the Blessed One, Śākyamuni Buddha, not as a means of punishment, but to protect the harmonious dwelling of the Saṅgha, to uphold the virtue of purity, and to help practitioners focus their efforts on the cultivation of the Path. Each rule (Sutta-vibhaṅga) originates from a specific incident, illustrating the practical utility of discipline in communal life.
Principal Content
The specific content of the Sakabaḷa Sutta has not yet been fully translated, however, based on the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this sutta relates to regulations concerning the manner of eating and the behavior of practitioners while eating. The image of "mouth full" (sakabaḷa) is emblematic of a state in which a person is utterly absorbed and loses mindfulness while eating, or may refer to situations involving eating too hastily or chewing carelessly without sustained attention.
In accordance with the spirit of the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, the Buddha taught that even the act of eating must be an occasion for the cultivation of mindfulness (sati). Practitioners of the Path should not allow the sense faculties to be wholly dominated by the sense of taste. Rather, when eating, the monastic ought to maintain a clear and untroubled mind, free from greed and free from heedlessness. This rule reflects a foundational principle: all physical actions—speaking, hearing, seeing, eating—are occasions for awakening to the impermanent, suffering, and non-self nature of existence (anicca, dukkha, anattā).
Practical Significance
The profound significance of the Sakabaḷa Sutta lies in its reminder to monastics that discipline is not an arbitrary prohibition, but an instrument of liberation.
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