Lzh Sarv Bu Pm 2 Sk 73Licking the Bowl

The Licking the Bowl Scripture (Pattanillehaka)

Context

The Pattanillehaka scripture appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically among the rules on the conduct of bhikkhus. This is not a scripture teaching the Dharma in the usual sense, but a Vinaya rule related to the representative behavior of monastics while eating.

The context in which this rule arose lies in specific situations within the Buddha's Sangha, when bhikkhus showed different behaviors in handling their alms bowls after meals. The Vinaya Piṭaka records these regulations with the purpose of maintaining purity, mindfulness, and the renunciation of actions unsuitable to the spirit of practice of a renunciant.

Main Content

The rule on "licking the bowl" (nildehaka — licking the bowl) in the Vinaya Piṭaka forbids bhikkhus from licking their alms bowls after finishing a meal. This action is considered unsuitable to the grace and mindfulness that a renunciant should maintain.

According to the spirit of the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, licking the bowl is not only a matter of hygiene or courtesy in the worldly sense, but also expresses greed (lobha) and difficulty in controlling the senses. A bhikkhu or bhikkhunī should eat with clear awareness (sati) that food is only nourishment to maintain health for practicing the Dharma, not for craving pleasant tastes.

This rule relates to the whole system of training in sense restraint (indriyasaṁvara) emphasized by the Buddha. Licking the bowl is regarded as a sign of excessive indulgence or greed in enjoying food, contrary to the spirit of alms practice and lack of sense restraint.

Practical Meaning

Although this rule may seem minor, it reflects a profound principle in Theravāda practice: every action has meaning and affects the mind. Licking the bowl can lead to loss of vigilance (pamāda), causing the mind to become unsettled and dominated by desire.