San Lo Bu Pm Sk 30Overlarge Mouthful
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nātimahanta
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Nātimahanta Discourse (Overlarge Mouth)
Background
The Nātimahanta discourse is part of the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically belonging to the Pātimokkha, the collection of basic rules that bhikkhus must observe. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not only a set of dry prohibitions, but also profound guidance on ethics, self-regulation, and harmony within the monastic community.
This discourse arose from specific events in the Buddha’s life. When bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs acted improperly, the Buddha did not simply punish them, but established rules so that practitioners could recognize the psychological and social consequences of their actions. Each rule has an origin story (nidāna) explaining why it was necessary.
The phrase “Nātimahanta,” or “overlarge mouth,” may seem simple, but it carries deep meaning regarding control of the senses, especially the mouth, speech, and the mind.
Main Content
In the context of the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, the Nātimahanta discourse is related to regulations on the conduct of bhikkhus in daily life. Specifically, it points out cases in which one should not eat with the mouth opened too wide, or should not greedily eat too much in a meal; these are points that seem minor but reveal a deep philosophy.
Eating with an “overlarge mouth” is not only a matter of aesthetics or etiquette, but also reflects a mental state of greed (lobha), delusion (moha), and lack of self-control. For a bhikkhu practicing in search of liberation, controlling the body, especially the senses, is an indispensable first step. The Vinaya Piṭaka has been called the “courtyard of the Buddha-Dharma,” where character is refined and the mind is trained.
The regulations on eating and drinking in the Vinaya Piṭaka are also related to the principle of “proper moderation” (middā): self-regulation that is suitable, neither excessively self-mortifying the body nor excessively pursuing pleasure. This is the middle path taught by the Buddha, avoiding both extremes.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.