Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Sk 66Stuffing Cheeks

Source Status

This item is an AI interpretation, not a translation of the original scripture. In the present session, the full text at the source link has not been directly checked, so specific details concerning the Chinese wording, the circumstances in which the rule was established, or the scope of application cannot be confirmed. The data used consist only of the descriptive information: the Vietnamese title “Nhồi Đầy Má,” the English title “Stuffing Cheeks,” the Pali term “Avagaṇḍakāraka,” the code “lzh-sarv-bi-pm-dh-sk66,” the tradition “Sectarian Buddhist Texts · Comparative,” the collection “Comparative Vinaya — Chinese,” together with the truncated ending of the Vietnamese text.

The ending mentions decorum while eating and mindfulness, but it is not enough to regard every detail in it as the verbatim content.

Context

The title “Stuffing Cheeks” indicates that the training rule is related to the manner of eating, especially the act of putting too much food into the mouth so that the cheeks bulge out or the appearance becomes coarse. In the Vinaya tradition, such matters are not merely intended to create external politeness. They train monastics to live with awareness in every movement, so that bodily karma becomes dignified and the mind is not swept along by craving for taste.

The life of almsround or receiving food is founded upon contentment. Food received is not an object for indulgent enjoyment, but a condition for sustaining the body in order to continue practice. Therefore, the way one eats has moral meaning. Eating hurriedly, greedily, by stuffing oneself, or for the sake of satisfying sensation can diminish the quality of decorum and cause observers to lose confidence in the monastic life.

Content That Can Be Determined from the Descriptive Information

From the descriptive information, the main theme can be identified as avoiding the conduct of “stuffing cheeks,” that is, eating in such a way that the cheeks are filled. A safe interpretation is: practitioners are reminded not to put too much food into the mouth at once, not to eat with a greedy appearance, and not to let the bodily form while eating become lacking in dignity. This is a training rule concerning decorum in eating, emphasizing moderation, slowness, and awareness.

The truncated ending says that a monastic, while eating, should maintain an elegant and modest appearance and not make others uncomfortable. This spirit is consistent with the title. However, the ending also includes broader terms and interpretations such as “dhutaṅga,” “aniccatā,” and “suññatā.” Because the data does not confirm that these terms belong to the original text, they are treated here only as indications of style, not as confirmed source content.

What can certainly be understood is that eating is not separate from practice. While the mouth is chewing, the mind may still be aware or deluded; the body may still express restraint or craving. A person who eats with a mouth overfull usually finds it difficult to maintain lightness, to speak at the proper time, and easily reveals a hurried mind. Therefore, this training rule brings the practitioner back to moderation right within a very ordinary act.

Meaning for Practice

The practical meaning of “Avagaṇḍakāraka” is to recognize craving in a very crude form: wanting to put much into the mouth, wanting to swallow quickly, wanting to enjoy the flavor before the mind has time to be aware. Students of the Buddha often speak easily of impermanence, non-self, compassion, or wisdom, but when facing a favored food, practice is immediately tested. Without mindfulness, the body acts according to habit before wisdom has time to illuminate it.

Not stuffing the cheeks is also a way of preserving the dignity of the body. This body is not an object for adorning the ego, but neither is it a means for heedlessness. A practitioner uses the body as an instrument of Dharma: walking, standing, sitting, lying down, eating, drinking, and speaking all have the capacity to express discipline. A small gesture can inspire respect in others, or conversely, make others doubt the value of the path of practice.

For laypeople, this training rule reminds us to slow down during meals. Mindful eating is not merely a technique of eating slowly; it is knowing that one is eating to nourish the body, knowing how to stop before craving for taste, recognizing the labor of those who made the food, and not turning a meal into a place of heedlessness. When one eats a moderate mouthful, chews calmly, and places attention in the present, one is loosening one link of craving.

The lesson also extends to what we “consume” through the eyes, ears, and mind. Stuffing the cheeks is a concrete image of the mind that wants to fill itself with experience: more news, more praise, more stimulation, more possessions. Students of the Buddha practice receiving just enough, using just enough, and stopping at the right time. From discipline at the mouth, we learn discipline of the mind.

Comparative Note

The full source text needs to be compared before the precise translation of “Avagaṇḍakāraka” and the scope of the training rule can be determined. Context, figures, chapter divisions, or specific teachings should not be added if the descriptive information does not state them. This interpretation establishes only the identifiable theme: decorum in eating, not stuffing the cheeks, maintaining moderation, and using the meal as a place for practicing mindfulness, contentment, and self-restraint.