Lzh Mi Bi Vb Sk 63Poking Tongue

Exposition of the Discourse on Protruding the Tongue (Jivhānicchāraka)

Context

The Discourse on Protruding the Tongue belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Pāli Canon, reflecting one of the disciplinary regulations of the early Buddhist Sangha. This work records a historical event related to the Buddha and a certain bhikkhu, from which arose a rule of discipline intended to preserve the diligence and dignity of the Sangha.

In the social context of India in the Buddha’s time, sticking out the tongue was regarded as an impolite expression, a gesture of mockery, or even an uncivil action. The Vinaya Piṭaka records that this practice occurred and was censured by the Buddha, not because of any profound moral gravity, but because it diminished the dignity of a bhikkhu and undermined the trust of the lay community in the Sangha.

Main Content

The regulation in this discourse concerns a specific behavior: sticking out the tongue in a foolish or teasing manner. This is not an offense that creates heavy karma in an absolute moral sense, but it violates the principle of Vinaya, the discipline, concerning moderation in behavior and preservation of the religious image of a bhikkhu.

The Vinaya Piṭaka stipulates that a bhikkhu should not perform such actions for practical reasons: first, it causes loss of confidence when people see a monastic behaving without dignity; second, it contradicts the ethic of self-control (sīla) that monastics must maintain; third, it can create conflict within the Sangha if there is no clear standard.

The discourse also reflects an important principle in the Vinaya Piṭaka: disciplinary rules arise from specific events in history. The Buddha did not issue all the rules at one time; rather, when problems arose in the Sangha, he established appropriate rules to address them.