Bu Sk 1818. Swinging the arms
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyabāhuppacālaka
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Dutiyabāhuppacālaka Sutta – The Sutta on One Who Swings the Arms (Second)
Background
The Dutiyabāhuppacālaka Sutta (On One Who Swings the Arms, Second) is found within the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the section concerning the Butsabodhaka (regulations governing the conduct of bhikkhus), belonging to the Theravāda tradition. This sutta records an event in daily monastic life at the monastery, relating to a requirement to correct a certain action of a bhikkhu.
The background of this sutta arises from the need to maintain discipline and propriety within the Saṅgha community. The Vinaya texts of the Pāli Canon were compiled to guide which behaviors should be avoided or practiced in order to protect the meditative composure and moral integrity of the order. The Dutiyabāhuppacālaka is one of the shorter suttas, yet of highly practical character, reflecting the specific details of daily life in the early Buddhist Saṅgha.
Principal Content
This sutta concerns the action of "swinging the arms" (bāhuppacālaka) on the part of a bhikkhu. Although the sutta is not fully rendered in translation in the present context, according to the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, suttas pertaining to bodily movement generally address details of proper conduct in specific situations.
The action of swinging the arms may relate to situations such as: signaling in the context of water-binding, withdrawing from a reassembled space, or a gesture considered inappropriate in the context of monastic practice. What is important is that the Buddhist Vinaya does not merely regulate what ought to be done, but also identifies behaviors to be avoided in order to maintain dignity and mutual respect within the community.
The designation "second" (Dutiya-) suggests that this may be a repetition of a similar regulation, or a variant of the first Bāhuppacālaka sutta, recorded so that the community may better understand the nuances of this particular action.
Practical Significance
Although this sutta deals with a small detail of bodily action, it reflects a fundamental principle in Theravāda Buddhist practice: mindfulness in all activities (sati). There is no action, however small, that is unworthy of wakeful attention.
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