San Lo Bi Vb Pc 65Upholstery
Pāli / Sanskrit:Tūlonaddha
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Exposition of the Tūlonaddha Sutta (Upholstery)
Background
The Tūlonaddha Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha-Dharma, specifically within the regulations concerning the way of life and management of possessions by monks and nuns. The content of this sutta concerns a practical matter in the life of practice: the use of comfortable articles, especially mattresses, pillows, and items with outer padding to ease bodily discomfort.
The Vinaya rules are established on the foundation of balance between two extremes: on one side, excessive self-mortification, which harms spiritual practice; on the other, indulgence in material things, which distracts from the purpose of practice. The Tūlonaddha Sutta reflects this principle of the middle way, guiding monks and nuns to distinguish between legitimate needs for maintaining health and unnecessary desires.
Main Content
The Tūlonaddha Sutta regulates the use of padded articles (tūla, including cotton, wool fiber, or similar soft materials). These regulations are usually expressed in the form of specific permissions or prohibitions, established through concrete events encountered by the Buddha and his disciples.
In general, the Vinaya permits monks and nuns to use mattresses, pillows, and padded articles to protect their health, but there are limits regarding their quality and manner of use. The important point is that articles that are overly luxurious or excessively decorated are not permitted. The purpose of these regulations is to avoid lustful attachment to unnecessary material things, while still permitting monks and nuns to care for the body in a reasonable way.
The criteria for distinction are usually based on:
The nature of the materials used: only simple, ordinary kinds are accepted.
The purpose of use: it must be to protect health or lessen discomfort, not out of a desire for perfection or aesthetics.
The extent of use: only enough for the need, without adding excessive layers or further decoration.
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