Xct Mu Bu Vb Np 21An Extra Almsbowl
Pāli / Sanskrit:Patta
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
THE PATTA SUTTA (THE ALMSBOWL)
Background
This discourse is recorded in the Vinaya Pitaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha, or the rules of practice for the Buddhist Sangha community. The Pātimokkha is the collection of precepts that each bhikkhu must observe. The Patta Sutta is set in the context of managing the property and personal requisites of bhikkhus, an important element of the Vinaya Piṭaka intended to maintain purity, discipline, and freedom from attachment to material things.
The bowl (patta) is an indispensable requisite for a bhikkhu. It is not only a tool of daily life but also a symbol of humility and dedication to practice. According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Buddha clearly prescribed the number and proper use of bowls in order to avoid acquisition or excessive storing.
Main Content
This discourse prescribes that each bhikkhu is permitted to own one suitable bowl for daily use. If a bhikkhu possesses an additional spare bowl, this must conform to specific conditions and rules. This extra bowl should be kept only if there is a legitimate reason, such as the main bowl being damaged or in need of repair. If an extra bowl is kept without a valid reason, the bhikkhu may be regarded as violating the rules concerning property.
In the context of the early Vinaya Piṭaka, the Buddha frequently reminded his disciples that accumulating too many requisites troubles the mind and creates obstacles to practice. Such restrictions are not meant to torment, but to liberate the mind from anxiety over possessions. The bowl, though simple, represents the whole humble way of life taught by the Buddha.
Practical Meaning
The Patta Sutta contains a profound lesson about the danger of sensual desire and greed. Strict regulation concerning the bowl is not a meaningless rigid rule, but an educational means that helps bhikkhus train the mind in non-attachment.
🌏 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.