Xct Mu Bu Pm Sk 25Arms Akimbo
Pāli / Sanskrit:Khambhakata
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Khambhakata Discourse — On Coarse Conduct
Context
The Khambhakata discourse is recorded in the Suttavibhaṅga section of the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically within the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the rules of conduct for female bhikkhus. In the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a dry code of rules, but a living lesson about the nature of body, speech, and mind, and how they affect the path of renunciants.
The term “khambhakata” (khambha = shoulder, arm; kata = clasped, fastened) describes a specific bodily posture: the two arms held tightly, with the upper arms pressed in. It seems to be a small action, but in the context of the Buddhist Sangha’s practice it reflects an important point: attention to every detail of conduct.
Main Content
The specific content of this discourse has not been fully translated in commonly available materials, but according to the context of the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the discourse concerns warnings about how a bhikkhunī conducts herself in daily life. The posture of “holding the arms tightly” may refer to actions that are overly intimate, lacking dignity, or not in keeping with the calm and self-control that a renunciant should maintain.
In the Vinaya Piṭaka, details like these are not meaningless. The Buddha taught that a bhikkhu or novice should be aware of each movement of the body. Clasping the arms tightly or placing the arms in certain ways may be regarded as expressing a mind insufficiently calm, or as a sign of naïveté and lack of mental control required by the discipline.
In the context of collective practice, the Dharma of discipline not only protects bhikkhunīs from unfair suspicion or criticism, but also helps each individual develop mindfulness and self-discipline. Khambhakata may be understood as a reminder: outward conduct and inward conduct are deeply connected.
Practical Meaning
For modern practitioners in the Theravāda tradition, this discourse teaches a profound lesson about the wholeness of practice. No detail is too small to overlook.
🌏 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.