Lzh Mu Bi Pm Sk 93Sandals
Pāli / Sanskrit:Upāhanāruḷha
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THE SUTTA ON SHOES AND SANDALS (UPĀHANĀRUḶHA)
Background
The Upāhanāruḷha Sutta (Shoes and Sandals) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically the discipline for bhikkhus. This is a disciplinary sutta concerning practice within the Sangha community, related to specific regulations about cleanliness, dignity, and respect for the space of practice.
According to the context in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the rules established by the Buddha were not due to any arbitrary habit, but to the necessity of protecting the welfare of the Sangha, preserving the Teaching, and creating suitable conditions for everyone’s practice. This sutta refers to a small detail with deep meaning: wearing shoes and sandals or placing them in certain areas of the monastery, especially in sacred places or places where people gather for practice.
Main Content
The specific content of this sutta states that a bhikkhu is not permitted to carry or place shoes and sandals on high places in the hall (uposathagara) or in places where the Dharma is discussed. This is a rule concerning dignity and respect for the space of practice.
The deeper reason for this rule lies in the Buddhist foundation of mental and physical cleanliness. In the Theravāda tradition, attention to small details in the life of practice is not a trivial matter. Shoes and sandals are regarded as articles that come into contact with dirty ground, where there are germs and unclean things. Placing shoes in high places, especially in sacred spaces, both reflects a lack of proper etiquette and shows disrespect toward the place set aside for practice and listening to the Dharma.
This rule also suggests that monastics should maintain vigilance in daily actions. A true bhikkhu must recognize that every movement and every small negligence is related to the mind. Diligence in maintaining cleanliness and dignity is itself a way to train the mind and to develop carefulness (appamāda), a fundamental moral quality in the Buddhadharma.
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