San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Sk 21Lowered Eyes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Okkhittacakkhu
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The Okkhittacakkhu Sutta (Lowered Eyes)
Background
This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, where the rules of virtuous conduct and behavior for bhikkhus and bhikkhunis in the Sangha of the Buddha Shakyamuni are recorded. It is an important part of the early Teaching, where the Buddha teaches about the outward conduct that must be trained in order to build a firm ethical foundation. The Okkhittacakkhu Sutta (Lowered Eyes) reflects one of the most basic rules concerning restraint of the senses, especially the eyes, one of the main "doors" through which craving and delusion enter the mind.
The background of this sutta is related to incidents in the early Sangha, when the Buddha’s disciples had not yet fully understood how to practice restraint of the senses. The Buddha analyzed, taught, and established rules of conduct to guide them on the path to liberation.
Main Content
"Lowered eyes" (okkhittacakkhu) is an expression of the restraint of the visual faculty (cakkhu-indriya). In the Theravāda tradition, training the senses is not a way of avoiding the world or fearing sensual forms, but a way of developing a mind that is not scattered and not dominated by external objects.
When a bhikkhu lowers his eyes (restraining himself from looking around), he is not drawn into alluring sights. This does not mean that the eyes are completely "closed," but that they are consciously controlled. A bhikkhu walking or standing for alms, with his eyes looking only a certain distance ahead of himself, usually no farther than a "cup" or measure from the feet to the nose. This is called a "short range of seeing" (antaradassana).
This rule also reflects a profound psychological truth: when we constantly "search" with the eyes, our mind is pulled from one direction to another. That is the basis for the arising of greed (lobha), hatred (dosa), and delusion (moha). By lowering the eyes, the practitioner creates conditions for the mind to become stable and focused on true objects of meditation.
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