Lzh Mi Bi Pm Sk 65Round Mouthful
Pāli / Sanskrit:Parimaṇḍala
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An Explanation of the Parimaṇḍala Discourse (Round Mouthful)
Background
The Parimaṇḍala discourse is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, the collection of training rules and discipline for the Sangha. This discourse belongs to the category of specific regulations that guide monks and nuns in daily life, especially in eating and in caring for the health of the body.
The context in which this discourse arose concerns specific cases encountered by the Buddha in the monastic community. When the Buddha saw monks behaving inappropriately or causing discomfort to others, he would establish a training rule (Sutta Vibhaṅga) so that the Sangha might live in peace and harmony. The Parimaṇḍala discourse is one of the small regulations, yet it has deep significance concerning the manner of eating and dignified conduct in practice.
Main Content
The Parimaṇḍala discourse concerns the proper way for monks and nuns to eat, specifically the way of placing food into the mouth gradually, without haste, without greed, and especially with the mouth kept “round” rather than opened wide in an unseemly manner.
This rule arises from the requirement of dignity and respect in conduct. When a monk eats with his mouth wide open, not closed and not composed, this may create a bad impression on those who see it and diminish faith and respect for the Sangha. Furthermore, it is an expression of greed (lobha) and a lack of mindfulness (sati) in the process of eating.
The discourse teaches that monks and nuns should eat consciously, slowly placing food into the mouth so that it naturally closes, preserving a dignified appearance and not making others uncomfortable. This is not an unreasonable strict rule, but an expression of bodily restraint (kāya-saṃvara) and respect toward the basic daily act of eating.
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