Upp Sk 64Shoes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pāduka
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THE SUTTA ON SHOES (PĀDUKA SUTTA)
Background
The Pāduka Sutta is recorded in the Chapter on Appurtenances of the Vinaya Piṭaka, an important part of the Theravāda Canon. This Vinaya records the rules of practice (Vinaya) that the Buddha established for the Sangha in order to maintain discipline and the proper spirit of learning and practice. Although the subject of the sutta on shoes concerns everyday objects, it contains a profound lesson on the pure life and the management of property by Buddhist monastics.
In the context of the Sangha during the Buddha’s lifetime, the management of personal items such as shoes may seem minor, but it clearly reflects the spirit of Buddhist practice: nothing is “too small” to be ignored if it concerns intention and the conduct of practice. The regulations in the Vinaya Piṭaka were gradually developed through specific situations that arose in the monastic community, thereby teaching the spirit of self-mastery and humility.
Main Content
The Pāduka Sutta records regulations on the use and management of shoes in the monastic community. According to the Theravāda tradition, a Bhikkhu or Bhikkhunī is permitted to possess certain basic items, called parikkhāra in Pāli, the necessary implements of practice. Shoes are included among these, especially wooden sandals or sandals used on special occasions.
Specific regulations concerning shoes include: conditions on the permitted quantity to possess, how to store them, meaning that they should not be left carelessly among the fourfold assembly, how to use them according to protocols appropriate to the monastery context, and, most importantly, the spirit of non-attachment and lack of pride toward these objects. The sutta emphasizes that a bhikkhu should not choose luxurious shoes or display an attitude of excessive self-care while forgetting that the purpose of practice is to subdue sensual desire.
These regulations are not merely customs, but express the Buddha’s understanding of the connection between even the smallest actions and the human mind.
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