Upp Pc 65Tickling
Pāli / Sanskrit:Aṅgulipatodaka
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Exposition of the Aṅgulipatodaka Discourse (Tickling)
Background
The Aṅgulipatodaka discourse is found in the Pātimokkhasaṃvara, the code of precepts, within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon. This is the section of the discipline concerning violations that may seem minor but must be governed within the monastic community. The discourse arises from specific situations in the life of practice in vihāras, where bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs practiced together according to the Buddha's Dharma.
The background for the formation of this discourse concerns careless or playful interactions among members of the community. The word "Aṅgulipatodaka" (tickling, teasing with the fingers) refers to small actions that appear harmless but in fact contain risks for the mind of practice and for communal discipline. The Buddha laid down detailed regulations to protect the purity of mind of those gone forth.
Main Content
The Aṅgulipatodaka discourse concerns the rule prohibiting teasing actions or touching another person playfully, especially touching sensitive areas of the body. Although such actions may arise from friendly intention, the Buddha recognized that they could have negative consequences: disturbing concentration in meditation, causing distraction, or opening opportunities for desire and anger to arise.
The rule states that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs should not engage in such actions, and if someone violates it, they must confess and repent according to the Dhammakathika procedure for acknowledging an offense. The purpose is not punishment but education and the maintenance of purity of mind.
This regulation also reflects the principle of "indriya samvara" (restraint of the sense faculties), one of the foundations of Theravāda practice. By restraining meaningless contacts, practitioners can protect the six sense faculties from being drawn into temporary pleasures, thereby creating conditions for the mind to move closer to nirvana.
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