Lzh Sarv Bu Pm Sk 68Overlarge Mouthful

Nātimahanta Sutta (Overlarge Mouthful)

Background

The Nātimahanta Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, recording the training rules that the Buddha Gotama established for Buddhist monks and nuns. In its historical context, this discourse reflects specific situations that occurred in the earliest monastic community, when the Buddha needed to intervene to correct behavior inconsistent with the nature of the noble path.

The Vinaya Piṭaka is not a set of empty prohibitions, but principles built from deep understanding of human psychology and the barriers that obstruct Liberation. Each rule has a preamble explaining the cause and reason for which the Buddha established it.

Main Content

The Nātimahanta Sutta (called “Overlarge Mouth” or “Chewing Too Hastily”) concerns improper eating conduct among bhikkhus or bhikkhuṇīs. Specifically, the discourse records instances in which monastics did not observe appropriate rules of eating, especially eating too quickly, too greedily, or carelessly, leading to inelegant actions or causing disturbance to the community.

Through observation, the Buddha saw that such conduct did not merely violate aesthetics, but also reflected an unwholesome mind (akusala chitta): a mind of greed, ignorance, and lack of self-control. Monastics should eat thoughtfully and patiently, not allowing the sense faculties (indriya) to control action, but instead using mindfulness (sati) to observe the process of eating as part of practice.

The Buddha established the Pāṭimokkha (Discipline) prohibiting monastics from eating too hastily or in ways improper according to the order of the Sangha. This is part of the Sekhiya Dhamma (training rules), minor regulations intended to train the mind and maintain discipline in the monastic community.

Practical Meaning

The Nātimahanta Sutta teaches that practicing the Buddha-Dharma includes even the most ordinary details of daily life.