Mpt Np 30The Five Tonics
Pāli / Sanskrit:Bhesajja
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Sutra on the Five Medicines (Bhesajja)
Background
The Sutra on the Five Medicines is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Nissaggiya Pācittiya section (Np 30). It is part of the ethical rules for monks and nuns, especially female renunciants, though its principle extends to the entire Sangha.
The foundation of this text appears in the context of early Buddhism, when monks, nuns, and monastics encountered issues related to health, illness, and maintaining the body. The Buddha, with boundless compassion, prescribed appropriate ways to care for health without violating the spirit of pure practice.
This text reflects the early Buddhist view of accepting the legitimate needs of the body, thereby protecting the health of practitioners so that they can focus on studying and practicing the Dharma. This is a subtle balance between extreme austerity and reasonable care.
Main Content
The five medicines (bhesajja) in this text are ghee, oil (taila), honey (madhu), sugar (sukkhara), and salt water (lona). These substances were recognized by the Buddha as lawful “medicinal elements” for treating illness.
The important point is not that these substances have nourishing value, but that they are used for the purpose of treatment and restoring health. The text prescribes that monks and nuns may use these substances when there is medical need, but may not store them without restraint or use them to satisfy greed.
The discipline states in detail that if a female renunciant receives these medicines for more than eighty days without using them up, she commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense, an offense requiring declaration and forfeiture of the offending item. This principle is not intended to forbid health care, but to prevent accumulation and attachment to material things, preserving the spirit of purity and non-clinging.
Practical Meaning
The Sutra on the Five Medicines teaches us a profound lesson about balance in practice.
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