San Mu Bu Pm GBM 3 Sk 71Na sāmiṣeṇodakenāntarikaṁ bhikṣuṁ

Interpretation of the Discourse: "On a Bhikṣu Not Sprinkling Water with Food"

Background

This passage appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically in the Pātimokkha section, the collected body of disciplinary rules for bhikkhus (bhikṣu). The Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled and recorded after the Buddha entered nirvana, in order to regulate the Sangha community and protect the purity of monastic ethics.

The context of the discourse concerns detailed regulations about eating, drinking, and the use of water by bhikkhus. In the Vinaya Piṭaka, each action is regulated specifically in order to avoid ethical transgressions, especially actions that may involve craving or worldly taste. The act of sprinkling water combined with "food" (sāmiṣa), that is, substances containing nourishment such as fat, oil, or butter, is a matter carefully considered in the Vinaya Piṭaka.

Main Content

This discourse stipulates that a bhikṣu should not sprinkle, or mix, water with foods containing nourishing substances such as fat, oil, or butter without a legitimate reason. The phrase "Na sāmiṣeṇodakenāntarikaṁ bhikṣuṁ" means "a bhikkhu should not mix water into food containing fat."

This rule reflects a basic principle of the Vinaya Piṭaka: a bhikkhu should maintain simplicity in food and drink, avoiding the creation of elaborate mixtures that may stimulate taste or arouse craving. The combination of water and fatty food may produce pleasurable flavors, contrary to the spirit of practice upheld in the Vinaya Piṭaka.

However, the Vinaya Piṭaka also recognizes exceptions: if a bhikṣu is ill, or in special permitted circumstances, such mixing is acceptable, provided it is not done out of craving or a desire to seek pleasurable taste. This is a balanced method between strictness in practice and the compassion and practicality of the Buddha Dharma.