San Lo Bi Vb Sk 37Licking the Hands

Licking the Hands Sutta (Hatthanillehaka)

Background

The Licking the Hands Sutta is a rule (Pātimokkha) belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, found in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the detailed explanation of the rules for bhikkhunīs. This sutta records an event in the process by which the Buddha built the community of practice, when bhikkhunīs violated basic social and ethical principles.

According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, this event took place at Sāvatthī, where the bhikkhunīs were not yet strictly managed. The Buddha discovered the improper conduct of certain nuns and established a regulation to maintain the precepts and the honor of the community of monks and nuns.

Main Content

The Licking the Hands Sutta records that some bhikkhunīs licked the hands or fingers of bhikkhus or other men with sensual or improper intent. This action was regarded as a Pārājika offense — that is, a fault leading to exclusion from the monastic community — because it relates to sexuality and the loss of purity in bodily conduct.

After learning of this conduct, the Buddha established a training rule (sikkhāpada) strictly prohibiting bhikkhunīs from licking another person’s hand. This rule is stated clearly for the purpose of protecting morality, maintaining purity, and preventing conduct that could lead to the weakening of the discipline.

The detailed explanation (Vibhaṅga) clarifies the conditions of the action, the degree of violation, and exceptional situations, if any. According to the rules of the Vinaya Piṭaka, determining a Pārājika offense requires that all factors be fulfilled, such as intention, action, and specific result.

Practical Meaning

The deeper purpose of this sutta is not merely to prohibit an outward action, but to teach a basic spiritual principle: Sati-sampajañña (mindfulness and clear comprehension) — wakefulness with regard to the body, actions, and their consequences.