Xct Mu Bi Sk 39Na vikṣipya pādau niṣatsyāma
Pāli / Sanskrit:Na vikṣipya pādau niṣatsyāma
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Exposition of the Na Vikṣipya Pādau Niṣatsyāma Scripture
Background
The Na Vikṣipya Pādau Niṣatsyāma Scripture appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically among the rules of practice for the Sangha. The title of this scripture is translated as “We shall not stretch out the feet and sit,” reflecting a specific disciplinary rule concerning bodily conduct in the community of monks and nuns.
The Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled after the Buddha’s parinirvana, based on his teachings on the discipline of practice. These rules are not arbitrary punishments, but regulations established to educate, protect harmony in the Sangha, and train the character of those who practice. Each rule has a specific origin in events or inappropriate conduct that occurred, through which the Buddha established standards to regulate the future.
Main Content
The Na Vikṣipya Pādau Niṣatsyāma Scripture directly concerns bodily action (kāya-karma) among bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. Specifically, this is a rule forbidding monastics to stretch out their feet when sitting. Though the act may seem minor, according to the spirit of the Vinaya Piṭaka it reflects a lack of humility and bodily restraint.
In the disciplinary rules of Theravāda Buddhism, regulations concerning bodily posture, such as how one sits, walks, and speaks, are all regarded as part of meditative cultivation (bhāvanā). These rules are not merely matters of hygiene or social etiquette, but means for training the mind. When small bodily actions are restrained, the mind gradually becomes attentive, concentrated, and calm.
The rule “not to stretch out the feet and sit” also reflects the principle of respecting shared space and others in the monastery. Carelessly stretching out the feet can obstruct others, cause discomfort, or display an excessive informality inappropriate to a communal environment of practice.
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