Mpt Sk 62Na jihvāsphoṭakaṁ paribhokṣyāma

Commentary on the Na jihvāsphoṭakaṁ paribhokṣyāma Sutta

Background

This section belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, where detailed rules of practice and real situations faced by the Buddha, bhikkhus, and bhikkhunīs in communal life are recorded. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of mechanical prohibitions, but guidance grounded in specific events, set forth to protect harmony in the Sangha and nurture the spiritual life.

The expression “Na jihvāsphoṭakaṁ paribhokṣyāma” carries the meaning of not eating things that harm the tongue or foods that are excessively pungent or stimulating. These are rules related to the ethics of eating and to the proper diet of those gone forth.

Main Content

In the context of Buddhist practice, choosing food is not merely a private matter of personal preference, but an expression of mindfulness (sati) and wakefulness. This sutta reminds practitioners that the tongue and taste are among the six sense faculties capable of leading the mind toward unnecessary sensations and cravings.

The tongue (jihvā) in Buddhist teaching is regarded as one of the “doors” through which desires can enter. When one eats overly stimulating foods — too spicy, too rich, too heavy — the mind is easily drawn into sensual gratification and finds it difficult to maintain concentration (samādhi). This is contrary to the principle of the middle way (majjhimā paṭipadā) taught by the Buddha: avoiding the two extremes of excessive pleasure and severe self-mortification.

Pāli texts often emphasize that the eating and drinking of one gone forth should be conscious: “Aniccatā saññino janassa kimūparāgo” (For one who has the perception of impermanence, what great attachment could there be?). Bhikkhus are encouraged to eat in order to maintain bodily health for practice, not to seek pleasure. Therefore, things that excessively irritate the organ of taste are obstacles on the path of practice.