San Lo Bu Pm Pc 87Itch Bandage
Pāli / Sanskrit:Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi
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Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi Sutta (The Sutta on the Itch-Covering Bandage)
Background
The Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically within the Pātimokkha and the rules governing the daily conduct of the Saṅgha. This is not an independent sutta but rather a regulatory passage concerning the allowable requisites and their proper use in monastic life.
According to the tradition, the Blessed One taught in detail about what is to be avoided in practice — not only in order to concentrate the mind upon the Dhamma, but also to establish communal discipline. He examined carefully the matter of clothing and supportive requisites, as these are connected with humility, mindfulness, and the avoidance of excessive concern for the body.
Principal Content
This text addresses the use of an "itch-covering bandage" or "cloth for scratching" (kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi) in the context of monastic practice. The issue arose when certain bhikkhus were using such articles to scratch or cover the body in a manner inconsistent with the spirit of the training, or were employing them with excessive attention to personal comfort.
The Blessed One, having received reports from bhikkhus close to him, laid down clear rules concerning:
1. The proper manner of using basic articles for bodily care, conducted with humility
2. The avoidance of excessive preoccupation with physical ease and comfort
3. The maintenance of the spirit of dhamma-caraṇa (conduct in accordance with the Dhamma) while still allowing a practical means of attending to one's health
These rules were established so that bhikkhus might address matters of skin conditions or itching without falling into a state of attachment or undue attention to the body. This reflects the Buddhist philosophical principle of the middle way (majjhimā-paṭipadā) — avoiding both extremes of self-mortification and indulgence in sensual ease.
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