Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 69Upholstery

The Tūlonaddha Sutta (Upholstery) — Exposition

Background

In the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Tūlonaddha Sutta belongs to the Pācittiya collection, prohibitions lighter than the Pārājika rules but still requiring remorse and recognition from monks and nuns. This sutta arose from the circumstance of a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī using types of padded cloth to decorate a room or place of practice.

During the time of Śākyamuni Buddha, monks and nuns practiced under modest conditions. Yet gradually some began to use luxurious materials to decorate their dwellings, causing the purpose of wholesome teaching to become unsuitable to the spirit of renunciation. The Blessed One, with care for maintaining pure discipline and avoiding transgression, laid down specific rules on this matter.

The word Tūlonaddha (tūla = cotton, wool; naddha = bound, woven) refers to coverings, linings, or decorative fabrics made from cotton fiber, silk, or similar materials. This is a typical example of how Theravāda Buddhism manages in detail actions that may seem harmless but conceal the materializing tendency of the mind.

Main Content

The Tūlonaddha Sutta stipulates that a bhikkhu must not use cotton fabrics or expensive materials to line or cover beds, mats, cushions, pillows, or any item used in his dwelling, apart from specific and lawful cases. If a bhikkhu violates this, he commits a Pācittiya, a fault requiring remorse.

In relation to the spirit of practice, this limitation is not because the fabric itself is bad, but because it reflects craving: the desire for comfort, luxury, and distinction from other bhikkhus. These are the first steps leading to the decline of the practitioner’s mind, leading to the loss of the core values of Buddhism: truth, non-greed, and non-self.

The regulation on Tūlonaddha is not an absolute prohibition, but a practical guide.