Upp Sk 40Licking the Lips
Pāli / Sanskrit:Oṭṭhanillehaka
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The Oṭṭhanillehaka Sutta (Licking the Lips)
An Interpretation According to the Theravāda Tradition
Background
The Oṭṭhanillehaka Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Upasampadā Sutta Khandhaka (Chapter on Going Forth), where the injunctions and disputes that occurred in the early Sangha are recorded. This sutta belongs to the Theravāda tradition, in which the Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of formal rules, but also deep lessons in morality (sīla) and self-restraint.
The background of the sutta concerns small disputes in the Sangha when new bhikkhus entered the life of practice. The Buddha saw that it was necessary to give injunctions reminding his disciples of carefulness in action, especially actions that seem minor but in fact reflect the spiritual state of the practitioner.
Main Content
The title "Licking the Lips" (oṭṭhanillehaka) indicates a very specific action: licking the lips in a greedy and desirous way. In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this act symbolizes subtle sensual craving, desires that are uncontrolled even in the smallest moments of daily life.
The sutta indicates that bhikkhus should not lick their lips while eating or drinking, or in other circumstances. This action is regarded as lacking refinement (asavannatā) and unsuitable to the appearance of a practitioner. But the deeper meaning does not lie in outward politeness, but in demonstrating control of the mind and of desire.
The Buddha uses this event to teach the concept of "indriya-samvara," the training of the faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind). In the Theravāda tradition, every action, from great to small, is an opportunity to restrain the objective faculties and the desires connected with them.
Practical Meaning
In Theravāda practice, this sutta is not only a reminder about simple etiquette. It is a lesson in "mindfulness in action." Greedy licking of the lips is an expression of a mind connected with pleasure in sensation (tṛṣṇā).
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