Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Sk 83Washing Water With Rice

Sasitthaka Sutta: Washing Water from Barley

Background

The Sasitthaka Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhu Pātimokkha or Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the disciplinary rules governing the daily life of monks and nuns. Beyond rules concerning moral character, the Vinaya Piṭaka also contains detailed guidance on conduct in daily life, especially in the use of communal property, food, and everyday requisites.

Although the Sasitthaka Sutta has a modest title, it carries deep meaning about attention and discipline in even the most ordinary matters. This is a typical example showing that the Buddha Dharma is concerned with every small detail of the life of practice, because it holds that carefulness in small matters is the foundation for clarity of mind.

Main Content

This discourse concerns the handling of washing water after roasted barley (sasittha). In the context of ancient Indian monasteries, preparing food was a daily activity of monks and nuns. The washing water from roasted barley contained small grains, rice, or other impurities, and the question arose: could this water be used or not?

According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the washing water from barley is not regarded as suitable food for drinking directly. However, this water may be used for other purposes, such as watering plants, washing hands and feet, or other daily tasks. The main principle is not to waste communal property, but also not to regard unclean things as suitable for consumption.

This discourse reflects a broader principle in the Vinaya Piṭaka: the use of resources must be measured (parimita), neither wasteful nor an attempt to reuse unsuitable things. This is an expression of the ethics of frugal and clean living (succindriyagupta) in the Early Buddhist tradition.

Practical Meaning

Although it may sound like a small detail, the Sasitthaka Sutta teaches us about balance in daily life.