Mpt Sk 69Na sāmiṣeṇodakenāntarikaṁ bhikṣuṁ

Commentary on the Na sāmiṣeṇodakenāntarikaṁ bhikṣuṁ Sutta

Background

This section belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, a core component of the Pāli Canon in the Early Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not a set of harsh prohibitions, but training guidance for educating the mind and actions of bhikkhus, in order to build a harmonious and pure community of practitioners.

This sutta addresses a specific rule concerning the use of food (sāmiṣa — food containing nourishment such as meat or fat) and water by bhikkhus. It reflects the wisdom of the Buddha in guiding bhikkhus to practice purity, self-restraint, and conscience through rules that may seem small but are spiritually profound.

This historical context arose from specific situations encountered by the Buddha and his disciples in the early bhikkhu community, as rules of practice were gradually established to resolve disputes and mistakes and to protect the purity of the Sangha.

Main Content

This sutta deals with an issue that may seem harmless but has meaning in practice: the use of fatty food (sāmiṣa) or water under special conditions. The phrase “antarikaṁ bhikṣuṁ” (a bhikkhu on the road, or a temporarily residing bhikkhu) suggests that this sutta concerns rules for bhikkhus who are traveling or living in unstable circumstances.

The Buddhist Vinaya Piṭaka often establishes such rules with the purpose of protecting wakefulness and restraint of the senses. Eating food containing fat may be regarded as a form of returning to pleasures or lacking contentment, and therefore these restrictions are intended to help bhikkhus maintain alertness and the basic needs of one who lives by alms.

Texts in the Vinaya Piṭaka often conclude with clear regulations: whether an act is permitted (anussajjhati), not permitted (nissajjhati), or must be followed only under certain conditions.