Mpt Sk 60Stuffing Cheeks
Pāli / Sanskrit:Avagaṇḍakāraka
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Avagaṇḍakāraka Sutta (The Sutta on Stuffing the Cheeks)
Background
The Avagaṇḍakāraka Sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Suttavibhaṅga section of the code. These are detailed regulations concerning the disciplinary training that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must observe in daily practice life. This sutta arose from the context of the Buddha’s disciples practicing an unsuitable way of eating, specifically stuffing the cheeks while eating.
In the early period of the Buddhist Sangha, the Buddha witnessed disrespectful actions in the eating habits of certain bhikkhus. These actions not only reflected a lack of personal discipline but also negatively affected the image of the Sangha before the public and non-Buddhist scholars. From this, the Buddha issued teachings on an upright method of eating and drinking, emphasizing that eating is a condition for maintaining the body in order to practice the path, not for satisfying the desires of the senses.
Main Content
The Avagaṇḍakāraka Sutta does not merely prohibit bhikkhus from stuffing their cheeks while eating; it also addresses the whole range of undisciplined ways of eating and drinking. Stuffing the cheeks (avagaṇḍa) shows a greedy attitude and lack of awareness of proper measure (mattaññutā), one of the noble qualities of one who practices the path.
The Buddha taught that bhikkhus should eat and drink in a dignified, slow, and conscious manner, regularly recollecting the true purpose of eating. Food is regarded as one of the four necessities for maintaining life, not as a means of returning to the pleasurable consciousness of the worldly life.
The rules in this sutta are also connected with collective discipline. When bhikkhus eat in an improper manner or violate rules related to food, they not only harm their own practice but also weaken the faith of those who joyfully make offerings and cause doubt about the nobility of the Sangha.
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