San Bu Pm Qizil Sk 67Overlarge Mouthful
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nātimahanta
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Sutta on the Overlarge Mouth (Nātimahanta)
Background
The Nātimahanta Sutta (Overlarge Mouth) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Khandaka section of the Theravāda Pāli tradition. It is one of the disciplinary rules for bhikkhus, established by the Buddha Gotama to protect the purity and harmony of the Sangha.
The historical background of this rule arose from a specific event in the life of the early Sangha. As the Buddha and his disciples traveled from place to place to teach the Dharma, minor issues concerning conduct, ways of eating, and unreasonable habits of the bhikkhus gradually came to light. Disciplinary rules such as Nātimahanta were established not to confine or make things rigid, but to build a Sangha that was ethical, disciplined, and respected by the public.
In the broader context, the Vinaya Piṭaka reflects the Buddha’s profundity in understanding human beings and society. Each rule was built upon a practical situation, allowing the Sangha to live in harmony and focus on the essential goal: liberation from suffering.
Main Content
The Nātimahanta rule concerns the eating conduct of bhikkhus, specifically placing an excessively large amount of food into the mouth. According to the disciplinary rule in the Vinaya Piṭaka, bhikkhus are encouraged to eat in a measured, reflective, and controlled manner.
Putting too large a mouthful into the mouth is not only a matter of daily habit but also reflects a lack of awareness (sati) and restraint of the sense faculties (indriya-samvara). When eating unconsciously, greedily, or without control, a monastic may fall into a clouded state of mind and lose mindfulness.
According to the Theravāda tradition, this rule is not intended to punish or find fault, but to educate. It helps bhikkhus understand that every action, even the daily act of eating, can become an occasion for the practice of mindfulness.
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