Lzh Mi Bu Vb Sk 69Stuffing Cheeks
Pāli / Sanskrit:Avagaṇḍakāraka
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Avagaṇḍakāraka Sutta — The Act of Stuffing the Cheeks
Background
This section appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically among the rules of conduct to be observed in the community of monks and nuns. The background arose when the Buddha and his disciples lived together, and actions that seemed small but were inappropriate to the nature of a practitioner were recorded and established as discipline.
The action of “stuffing the cheeks” (avagaṇḍakāraka), that is, filling the cheeks with food, was regarded by the Buddha as an expression of greed, lack of self-control, and discourtesy in eating. This is not suitable for one who has gone forth, one who has abandoned wandering desires in pursuit of the path of liberation. This sutta is not a dramatic story, but a disciplinary regulation intended to train the mind and cultivate virtue.
Main Content
According to the regulation in the Vinaya Piṭaka, monks and nuns should not stuff food into the cheeks or fill the mouth excessively. This is regarded as conduct inconsistent with orderliness and self-control in the process of consuming food. The action reflects an attitude lacking vigilance (sammati) and calmness in daily activity.
The reason the Buddha established this rule is not that food itself is the problem, but that the way we consume it reflects the state of mind. When one stuffs the mouth or cheeks full of food, the practitioner is showing greed (lobha), lack of restraint of the indriya, the sense faculties, and loss of mindfulness (sati) in the present. This is an expression of “unmindful indulgence,” eating without awareness of each moment.
The discipline states that monks and nuns should eat in a humane, refined, and measured manner. The mouth should not be too full; one should eat consciously, slowly, and with care. This is part of “bhojane mattaññutā,” knowing the proper measure in eating, not for indulgence but only to maintain health for practice.
Practical Meaning
The Avagaṇḍakāraka Sutta guides us in managing the most ordinary sense faculties.
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