Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pc 86Needle Cases
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sūcighara
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Sutta on Needle Cases (Sūcighara)
Background
The Sutta on Needle Cases is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the basic code of discipline. This work is not a discourse teaching Dharma as philosophical theory, but a rule of training related to the daily articles of the monastic community. The background for the arising of this sutta is usually connected with specific situations in the common life of the Sangha, when the Buddha or virtuous elders perceived defects in discipline and issued rules to maintain purity and proper practice.
The Sutta on Needle Cases is directly concerned with the use of containers for sewing needles by bhikkhus. In Buddhist monastic life, personal articles such as needles, thread, and tools for repairing robes are essential. Yet the way these items are used and managed must also follow principles of frugality, non-harm, and respect for the distinctive character of the renunciant life.
Main Content
The Sutta on Needle Cases regulates the possession and use of needle cases within the community of bhikkhus. According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, bhikkhus are permitted to possess necessary articles for keeping robes and monastic garments in good condition. A needle and its case belong to the class of articles recognized as essential. However, the rule does not allow wastefulness or the use of needlessly luxurious objects.
This sutta may mention rules such as these: a needle case should be made from simple materials appropriate to the humble way of life of one gone forth; needle cases may be shared or used communally within the monastic community; and there are ways to deal with a needle case when it is lost or damaged. These regulations ensure that bhikkhus do not fall into habits of hoarding or attachment to material possessions.
The Vinaya Piṭaka in general is very detailed in matters like this because they reflect a basic principle: what a bhikkhu possesses should be only what is needed for the life of practice, no more and no less.
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