Xct Mu Bi Pm Sk 68Na pātrasaṁdhūnaka
Pāli / Sanskrit:Na pātrasaṁdhūnaka
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Na Pātrasaṁdhūnaka Sutta
Background
The Na Pātrasaṁdhūnaka Sutta (One Should Not Shake the Bowl) is a precept belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This content is recorded in disciplinary texts related to the conduct of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, those who have gone forth according to the Buddha’s path.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of ethical and disciplinary rules that the Buddha Shakyamuni established for the Sangha, the monastic community. These regulations are not only intended to maintain discipline in the monastery, but also reflect the spirit of practice and the spiritual state that the Buddha wished his disciples to follow. Each precept has a specific historical background, often arising from real ethical situations in the early monastic community.
Main Content
This precept forbids bhikkhus from shaking or swinging their eating bowl (pātra) carelessly or without awareness. Shaking the bowl is not only a physical matter, but is directly related to the attitude of the mind and respect toward the requisites of practice.
In Theravāda Buddhism, the eating bowl is not personal property. It is an instrument of practice connected with teachings on non-greed (aloba), purity, and the proper management of material things. When a bhikkhu shakes the bowl carelessly, this shows a lack of care, a lack of alertness, and a loss of mindfulness (sati), core elements of Buddhist cultivation.
This behavior may also affect others in the Sangha, creating noise, disturbance, and showing disrespect toward those who are settled in practice or eating. Therefore, this is not simply a trivial act, but an expression of the student’s state of mind.
Practical Meaning
The Na Pātrasaṁdhūnaka Sutta teaches us that, in Buddhist practice, there is no small detail unworthy of attention.
🌏 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.