Xct Mu Bu Pm Sk 65Licking the Bowl
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pattanillehaka
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The Sutta on Licking the Rice Bowl (Pattanillehaka)
Background
The Sutta on Licking the Rice Bowl appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Suttavibhaṅga, where detailed rules of training for monks and nuns are recorded. This is not an instructional discourse (sutta) but a rule concerning eating etiquette and the discipline of daily life for those who have gone forth.
The background records that at Sāvatthī, some bhikkhus did not observe proper manners in eating. They licked their rice bowls, licked spoons, and performed actions that showed disregard for food. The Buddha, with deep understanding of human nature and of the subtle ways to practice, laid down rules to educate his disciples.
This sutta reflects the Theravāda tradition, where every daily action is regarded as an opportunity for practice. There is nothing small or unworthy of attention when a person has right awareness.
Main Content
Pattanillehaka, translated as “licking the rice bowl,” clearly states that bhikkhus should not lick bowls, dishes, or any eating utensils after finishing a meal. This action is considered undignified and inappropriate to the status of one who has gone forth.
This rule is not unreasonable. It arises from a profound principle: discipline of the senses (indriya saṃvara). When a bhikkhu licks the rice bowl, that action reflects a mind of greed (lobha), desiring to obtain every last grain of rice. It also shows a lack of clear understanding regarding food and a lack of contentment.
This rule is also connected with the fourth principle of conduct for bhikkhus: training so as to avoid things that easily give rise to desire and attachment. Eating rice is not for pleasure, but for maintaining health in order to continue on the path of practice (yathābhogacintaya, “eating to sustain life”).
This regulation applies to all bhikkhus from the time this sutta was proclaimed until the present.
Practical Meaning
For those who follow Theravāda Buddhism, the Pattanillehaka Sutta carries a profound lesson in awareness and discipline.
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