San Mg Bu Pm Pc 6Memorizing the Teaching

Exposition of the Padasodhamma Sutta

On Memorizing the Dharma

Background

The Padasodhamma Sutta (Memorizing the Dharma) is found in the Pātimokkha section of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the most fundamental collection concerning discipline in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of prohibitions, but a system for education, the building of the monastic community, and the protection of the Dharma. This section records the rules concerning how bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must remember, study, and transmit the Dharma accurately.

The historical context of the sutta is the early period after the Buddha entered nirvana. The Sangha community did not possess written texts, but relied primarily on the accuracy of memorization (gatimukham Dhamma, the Dharma transmitted through the mouth). Therefore, accurately remembering each word, phrase (pada), and meaning (attha) of the Dharma became a sacred and extremely important responsibility.

Main Content

This sutta emphasizes that bhikkhus must train in three ways in order to remember the Dharma: memorizing (parotibhava), contemplating the meaning (padesavihara), and living in accordance with the Dharma (anupadahara). The words “pada” (word, phrase) and “sodhamma” (true Dharma) indicate that precision in each word is not a trivial matter, but the foundation by which the Dharma is not distorted or lost.

The Vinaya Piṭaka states that bhikkhus who know the Vinaya and the Dharma must regularly compare and teach them to others in order to ensure continuity and accuracy. In particular, when there are disputes about the Dharma, the “Dharma” (Dhamma) and the “Vinaya” must be used as the standard of judgment, not personal character or preference.

The sutta also implies that memorization is not mechanical rote learning. The practitioner must clearly understand every aspect of the Dharma, combining it with meditation and mindfulness, so that the Dharma truly takes form in the mind and in daily action.