Xct Mu Bi Pm Np 19The Five Tonics
Pāli / Sanskrit:Bhesajja
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The Sutta on the Five Medicines (Bhesajja)
Background
The Bhesajja Sutta (The Five Medicines) is recorded in the Vinaya Pitaka, specifically in the Nuns’ Pātimokkha, and reflects guidelines laid down by the Buddha for the community of bhikkhunīs. This sutta arose in the context of early Buddhism, when the Sangha did not yet have detailed regulations concerning medical care and diet for those who had gone forth.
The Vinaya Pitaka is a collection of disciplinary rules (Pātimokkha) and stories about the origins of these rules. These rules are not arbitrary restrictions, but compassionate guidelines intended to protect the physical and mental health of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, while also maintaining harmony in the community of practice. The Sutta on the Five Medicines belongs to the class of practical teachings close to the daily life of those who have gone forth.
Main Content
The Sutta on the Five Medicines identifies five kinds of “medicine” (bhesajja) that bhikkhunīs are permitted to use to maintain health: ghee (clarified animal fat), oil, honey, sugar, and fish sauce. These substances are considered “medicine” rather than ordinary “food,” and therefore they may be used outside the proper meal time of the day or stored for a long period without violating the Vinaya.
The purpose of these “medicines” is to support health, treat illness, and help bhikkhunīs maintain strength so that they may continue practicing the Buddha-Dharma. This rule reflects the Buddha’s practical thought: a practitioner needs a minimum degree of health in order to persevere in the process of practice and reach liberation.
The sutta also implies that these substances must be used in moderation, not evasively, and with the clear purpose of health and the capacity for practice, not because of craving or sensual desire.
Practical Meaning
The Sutta on the Five Medicines contains a valuable lesson on balance in practice. A practitioner does not have to reject material conditions entirely, but must not become immersed in them.
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