Bi Sk 6161. Wearing shoes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pāduka
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Pāduka — On Wearing Shoes
Background
The Pāduka (Wearing shoes) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically to the regulations concerning the clothing and equipment of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in communal monastic life. The Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka records in detail the rules of conduct intended to protect bodily health, maintain community discipline, and prevent misunderstandings on the part of the laity.
The wearing of shoes and sandals may appear to be a minor detail, but in the context of early Buddhist monasteries it was an important matter relating to the training precepts (sekha-sīla) of bhikkhus. The agricultural land and roads of that time were very difficult to traverse, and sandals could cause harm to small creatures or create disorder within the monastery. At the same time, footwear was also connected to the question of exemplary conduct and humility in religious life.
Main Content
According to the tradition of the Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka, the Buddha spoke concerning the conditions under which the wearing of shoes and sandals is permitted and not permitted in the monastery. The specific content of this text has not yet been fully translated, but according to the context of the Vinaya, the regulations center on the following:
First, the cases in which wearing shoes and sandals is permitted: when the weather is bad, when roads are rough, or when one is ill or physically weakened. Bhikkhus may wear sandals to protect their feet and thereby protect their health so as to continue their practice of cultivation.
Second, the restrictions: shoes and sandals may not be worn during important ceremonies, when entering a shrine hall (a temple), or during communal recitation of the scriptures. This reflects an attitude of reverence and sincere humility in the Uposatha observance.
Third, requirements regarding materials: shoes and sandals must be plain and simple, and must not be elaborately decorated or luxurious. Footwear must be made from coarse materials such as straw, rope, or light wood, befitting the non-materialistic way of life of one who has gone forth from the household.
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