San Lo Bu Pm Sk 67While Standing

Exposition of the Rule Thitouccara (San Lo Bu Pm Sk 67)

Background

The rule Thitouccara belongs to the Sekhiya section of the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravada Pali Canon tradition. The Sekhiya collection includes 75 training rules on refined deportment, prescribing small but important forms of conduct in the daily life of a bhikkhu and expressing dignity and respect in every gesture and bodily action.

In the system of the Vinaya Pitaka, the Sekhiya rules are not grave offenses such as Parajika or Sanghadisesa, yet violating them damages the deportment and dignity of a renunciant and undermines confidence among the lay community. The Buddha established these training rules not only to protect the honor of the Sangha, but also to help practitioners cultivate mindfulness in even the smallest action.

The rule Thitouccara concerns defecating or urinating while standing, an action related to personal hygiene and deportment. In Indian society at the Buddha's time, maintaining decorum in bodily functions was a sign of education and cultivation. With deep wisdom, the Buddha saw that even in the most private actions, a bhikkhu should maintain mindfulness and respect the body as an instrument of Dharma practice.

Main Content

The specific content of the Thitouccara training rule states that a bhikkhu should not defecate or urinate while standing when there is no legitimate health reason. This is one of the training rules concerning deportment, meant to maintain dignity and refinement in every action.

The Vinaya explains that defecating or urinating while standing is not only undignified but may also cause impurity to splash, contaminating robes, body, and the surrounding environment. This is contrary to the spirit of purity that a renunciant should maintain.

However, the Vinaya Pitaka is not a rigid dogma. There are accepted exceptions: when a bhikkhu is ill and cannot sit down, when injured in the leg or knee, or in another special circumstance affecting health. In such cases, standing is necessary and does not violate the rule.

The spirit of this training rule is complete clear comprehension (sampajanna). In the Maha-Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha teaches that a practitioner should have mindfulness in every posture, walking, standing, lying down, sitting, and even in bodily functions. Thitouccara is a concrete application of this teaching on the four postures.

Practical Meaning

The Thitouccara training rule has deep meaning for the modern path of practice. First, it reminds us that Buddhism does not separate the body from spirituality. Practice is not only meditation or chanting, but the complete transformation of the way we live, including the most private actions.

Second, this rule teaches respect: respect for the body as an instrument of Dharma, respect for the environment, and respect for those around us. In an age when environmental hygiene has become an urgent issue, the spirit of Thitouccara has even greater value.

Third, this is a lesson in continuous mindfulness.