San Mg Bu Pm Sk 29Poking Tongue

THE SUTTA ON STICKING OUT THE TONGUE (Jivhānicchāraka)

Background

The Sutta on Sticking Out the Tongue (Jivhānicchāraka) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhu Pātimokkha, the fundamental code for male renunciants in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This sutta reflects specific situations in the Sangha community that the Buddha directly addressed in order to establish rules of practice.

The content concerns an act or habit considered unsuitable to the spirit of renunciation. “Poking Tongue,” or sticking out the tongue, indicates a rude and discourteous gesture or act, often performed under circumstances of loss of self-control or to mock and insult others. In the context of the Sangha, such gestures disrupt the culture of purity, respect, and self-discipline that the Buddha wished to uphold.

Main Content

This sutta, though brief, has a clear normative character. It was given when the Buddha recognized that some monks had performed acts such as sticking out the tongue, a gesture that could be considered heedless, unmindful, or even insulting. This act violates sīla, morality, especially the precepts related to proper conduct, courtesy, and respect for communal rules.

The Buddha then established a rule concerning bodily conduct, requiring monks to keep their gestures proper and courteous. Sticking out the tongue, in the context of the Pāli Canon, is an expression of a lack of alertness (appamāda) and a lack of respect (sappurisa-dhammavinaya). The aim of this rule is not punishment but education, reminding monks that even the smallest gesture reflects their volition (cetanā).

This rule also reflects a profound principle in Theravāda Buddhism: bodily, verbal, and mental actions are closely connected with ethics and the spirit of practice.