San Sarv Bu Pm Finot Np 22An Almsbowl With Fewer Than Five Mends
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ūnapañcabandhana
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EXPLANATION OF THE ŪNA-PAÑCA-BANDHANA DISCOURSE
(The Discourse on an Almsbowl with Fewer Than Five Mends)
Background
The Ūna-Pañca-Bandhana discourse is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the communal precepts, of the Theravāda tradition. This is a rule concerning the daily implement of bhikkhus: the bowl used for alms, called the pātra bowl (pātra-bhājana).
In the Theravāda tradition, the bowl is not only a practical object but also bears symbolic meaning of humility, restraint, and absence of ambition. Bhikkhus are permitted to carry ceramic bowls or wooden bowls, but the bowl must be carefully protected. When the bowl breaks or cracks, the matter of repair (bandhana) becomes important so that the bowl may remain usable without losing its value.
The rule “fewer than five mends” (Ūna-Pañca-Bandhana) was laid down by the Blessed Buddha to determine the lawful boundary between reasonable repair and excessive deterioration. This reflects the middle principle in the Buddha Dharma, avoiding both indulgence and extreme austerity.
Main Content
According to the Vinaya, if an almsbowl breaks or cracks, bhikkhus may repair it by mending the damaged places. However, not every degree of repair is approved. This discourse states that a bowl may continue to be used if it has no more than four mends, or in other words, fewer than five mends.
If the bowl needs to be mended in five places or more, this shows that the bowl has become too badly damaged and has lost its integrity. At that point, the bowl is no longer suitable for use in Buddhist practice. The bhikkhu must give up the old bowl and obtain a new one, or receive one from another person.
This rule is not for reasons of pride or excessive fastidiousness, but because a bowl that has been mended too many times cannot remain completely clean and may harbor bacteria or retain food residue in the seams.
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