San Mg Bu Pm Sk 41Shaking the Hand
Pāli / Sanskrit:Hatthaniddhunaka
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Hatthaniddhunaka Sutta — Shaking the Hand
Background
The Hatthaniddhunaka Sutta, “Shaking the Hand,” belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the disciplinary portion of the Tipiṭaka in the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha’s Dharma. This collection records detailed instructions concerning precepts and the handling of matters related to the communal life of monks and nuns, especially situations intended to protect harmony and discipline within the true Sangha community.
According to the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is divided into three main parts: the Sutta Vibhaṅga, or detailed analysis; the Khandhaka, or chapters; and the Parivāra, or appendix. This sutta stands within the context of regulations concerning bodily actions and ritual conduct in the monastic community. Here “shaking the hand” is not an ordinary gesture, but has a specific legal meaning, often connected with renouncing or declaring an important decision.
Main Content
In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the gesture of shaking the hand (hatthaniddhunaka) is used as a formal mode of declaration. When a monk or nun performs this movement before the true Sangha community or before witnesses, the act bears legal significance, often to express renunciation or a firm declaration regarding some matter.
The sutta records specific situations in which this gesture has legal force. This is connected with protecting the integrity of the true Sangha community and ensuring that decisions are carried out clearly, without ambiguity. The specific content of this sutta has not been fully translated in widely available materials, but it belongs within the framework of rules concerning actions that express individual and collective intention in the Sangha community.
The use of bodily gestures to express legal intention is characteristic of the Theravāda Vinaya system, where clarity and transparency in communal decisions are regarded as necessary for maintaining discipline and harmony.
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