Lzh Mi Bi Vb Pc 6Memorizing the Teaching
Pāli / Sanskrit:Padasodhamma
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Padasodhamma Sutta: Remembering and Preserving the Dharma
Background
The Padasodhamma Sutta (Pāli: pada = word; sodhamma = proper Dharma) lies in the lesser section of the Vinaya Piṭaka, within the Vinaya Piṭaka system of the Pāli Canon. This is a normative text of practice for the monastic community, intended to guide the accurate retention of the Buddha’s teaching.
The background for the establishment of this sutta arose from a practical need in the early Sangha. After the holy Buddha entered nirvana, the Sangha had to rely on memory to preserve and transmit the Dharma. Yet there were monks who did not carefully preserve the teachings, leading to distortion or omission. This sutta therefore instructs bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in how to remember and uphold the Dharma accurately, ensuring the integrity of the teaching across generations.
Main Content
Padasodhamma focuses on the method of remembering each portion of the Dharma (pada = word, passage), in order to protect the oral transmission from distortion.
The sutta teaches that one who upholds the Dharma (dhamma-dhara) must remember accurately each word (pada), each utterance (vāci), and each profound meaning (attha). One must not arbitrarily alter, add to, omit, or misinterpret the original teaching. This is not merely a mechanical work of memory, but requires concentration, mindfulness, and reverence for the Dharma.
The sutta emphasizes that bhikkhus who carefully preserve the Dharma (pada-sodhamma) are persons of high virtue, worthy of respect. They are “bright doors” of the Sangha, keeping the radiance of the teaching clear so that later generations may approach and practice it. Conversely, those who neglect accurate memorization harm the Dharma, weakening the Sangha and damaging its credibility.
The sutta also makes clear that remembering the Dharma is not only an individual responsibility, but the shared responsibility of the whole Sangha.
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