Lzh Mg Bu Pm Sk 36Aṅgulinillehaka

AṄGULINILLEHAKA SUTTA

An Exposition of the Pāli Canon of the Theravāda Tradition

Background

The Aṅgulinillehaka Sutta (那先比丘經 — "The Finger-Licker") is a portion of the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya records the rules and disciplinary guidelines that bhikkhus and bhikkhuṇīs are required to follow, in order to preserve the purity and harmony of the monastic community (Sangha).

In the context of India during the time of Śākyamuni Buddha, the rules of practice were not merely dry prohibitions, but were compassionate teachings guiding those who train toward Nirvāṇa. Bhikkhus were required to observe the Pātimokkha (波羅提木叉 — the precepts of what should and should not be done) in order to protect their own spiritual welfare and that of the Sangha as a whole.

This text was recorded among individual sections of the Vinaya, reflecting specific situations that arose within the early monastic community. Through these concrete narratives, Śākyamuni Buddha shaped both the spirit and the letter of the Buddhist Vinaya.

Principal Content

The Aṅgulinillehaka Sutta addresses a matter of discipline concerning bodily conduct considered improper: the act of licking or otherwise paying inappropriate attention to parts of the body. Though this may appear to be a minor matter on the surface, it reflects a profound principle regarding how one who trains must govern their own body.

In the Theravāda Pāli Canon, actions deemed "not entirely pure" (akucca — unwholesome conduct) are enumerated in the detailed sections on discipline. A bhikkhu must avoid actions that exploit the body or give rise to attachment to it, for such actions produce clinging to form (rūpa). Form is one of the five constituents that make up a person (Pañcakkhandhā), and clinging to it gives rise to suffering (dukkha).

The Sutta clearly states that a bhikkhu should maintain the body with an attitude of moderation — neither tormenting it nor indulging in it. This is the Middle Way (majjhimā paṭipadā) that Śākyamuni Buddha taught — keeping far from the extremes of ascetic self-mortification and sensual self-indulgence.