San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Sk 79Licking the Bowl
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pattanillehaka
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
The Pattanillehaka Sutta - Licking the Bowl
Background
The Pattanillehaka Sutta (Pāli: patta = bowl, nillehaka = licking) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha Dharma. This is one of the suttas on training in the rules of proper conduct (bhikkhu sīla), intended to nurture virtue in the monastic community.
This sutta appears in the context of the Buddha teaching bhikkhus how to behave properly with food and with the use of essential requisites in the monastic life. The rules in the Vinaya Piṭaka are not merely dry prohibitions, but instructions that help monks and nuns cultivate a watchful mind, abandon greed, and develop respect for integrity.
Main Content
The sutta speaks of the act of licking the bowl or scraping food stuck to the spoon or bowl after eating. The Buddha points out that this is not appropriate to the status of a bhikkhu. This is not because of contempt for food, but because it is a sign of a greedy mind (lobha) and lack of respect. A bhikkhu should stop when the food is sufficient to sustain life and the energy for practice, and should not allow the mind to become lost in every small bit of food and drink.
The Vinaya Piṭaka also teaches that licking the bowl may cause inconvenience for others in the community, especially nuns or diligent attendants who wash bowls. Even if unintentional, this action still reflects a mind not fully renounced, with tendencies not yet abandoned. The Buddha encourages bhikkhus to develop contentment (santutthitā) and fewness of wishes (appicchā), two basic qualities of the path.
Practical Meaning
The Pattanillehaka Sutta does not speak only of a small action; it points to a profound principle: every action of a practitioner must be guided by a watchful mind. Licking the bowl or not licking the bowl is a mirror reflecting the state of mind. It is an opportunity to recognize subtle greed, the way it hides in daily actions without our knowing it.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.