Bu Sk 4949. Sticking out the tongue

49. Sticking Out the Tongue (Jivhānicchāraka)

Bu Sk 49 — Vinaya Piṭaka, Pāli Canon (Theravāda)

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Status of the Source

The complete Pāli source text of Bu Sk 49 (Jivhānicchāraka) has not been directly consulted in the preparation of this document. The exposition below is constructed entirely on the basis of the descriptive information provided, which includes: the Theravāda tradition — Pāli Canon, Vinaya Piṭaka division, reference number Bu Sk 49, Vietnamese title "Thè lưỡi," English title "Sticking out the tongue," and Pāli title Jivhānicchāraka. Students should consult the original Pāli text or verified translations in order to understand the full content of this training rule.

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Background

Within the structure of the Theravāda Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka, the training rules for bhikkhus are classified according to the gravity of the offense. The designation Bu Sk is an abbreviation of Bhikkhu Sekhiyā — referring to the group of rules belonging to the Training Rules (Sekhiyā Dhammā), a collection of regulations governing the behavior, gestures, and deportment of monastics in daily life, particularly in situations involving interaction with laypeople, during the taking of meals, when moving about in public, and in conduct within the community.

The Sekhiyā group does not constitute training rules of the gravest weight, such as the Pārājika or Saṅghādisesa rules; nonetheless, they reflect the deep emphasis of the Theravāda tradition upon proper bearing (iriyāpatha) and the pure manner of conduct befitting a monastic. The ordinal number 49 indicates that this is one of the training rules falling in the latter portion of the Sekhiyā group, which typically concerns conduct and bodily gesture in specific circumstances.

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Content Determinable from the Descriptive Information

The Pāli name Jivhānicchāraka is composed of two principal elements: jivhā (tongue) and nicchāraka or nīcchāraka (the act of protruding or putting out). The name as a whole therefore carries the meaning of "the act of sticking out the tongue" or "putting the tongue out," corresponding fully to the Vietnamese title "Thè lưỡi" and the English title "Sticking out the tongue."

Within the context of the Sekhiyā training rules, this is most likely a rule prohibiting or cautioning bhikkhus against performing the action of sticking out the tongue while taking meals, when seated in an assembly, or during interaction with others. The act of sticking out the tongue is generally regarded as an undignified gesture, unsuitable to the image of a monastic who embodies pure virtue. In many ancient Indian cultures, this gesture also carried connotations of disrespect, discourtesy, or a lack of restraint over one's body.

Sekhiyā training rules relating to the mouth and tongue commonly focus on behaviors such as eating with audible sounds, opening the mouth excessively wide, chewing food with coarse gestures, or expressing emotions through facial expression in an unrestrained manner. Bu Sk 49 falls within this current, emphasizing that even the smallest bodily gestures must be observed and restrained by the monastic.

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Significance for Practice

The deeper significance of the Sekhiyā group in general, and of Bu Sk 49 in particular, lies in the principle of restraint of bodily conduct (kāyasamācāra). A Buddhist practitioner cultivates not only the control of the mind through meditation and wisdom, but also trains each smallest bodily gesture as a means of expressing and reinforcing inner purity.

The practice of restraining one's deportment encompasses at least three important dimensions:

First, it is the cultivation of mindfulness in every gesture. When a bhikkhu attends carefully to each movement — including whether or not the tongue is protruded — this is the practice of wakeful presence in each moment, not allowing bodily actions to follow unconscious habit.

Second, there is the dimension of impact upon others and upon the community. The image of the monastic in the eyes of laypeople and society carries the significance of conveying confidence in the Dharma. A monastic whose deportment is pure is a living expression of the Dharma being practiced. Conversely, undisciplined gestures may diminish reverence and bring harm to the reputation of the Sangha.

Third, there is the dimension of subtle karma. According to Buddhist teaching, every volitional act of body, whether great or small, leaves an impression upon the stream of consciousness. Attentive cultivation of each small detail in bodily conduct contributes to the purification of bodily karma, creating favorable conditions for the cultivation of inner practice.

Viewed from this perspective, Bu Sk 49 is not a rigid formal rule, but rather one part of a comprehensive system of training that assists the monastic in developing body, speech, and mind simultaneously in the direction of purity and wakefulness.

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Note on Textual Verification

As the complete Pāli source text of Bu Sk 49 has not been directly consulted, all detailed exposition in this document is of a general nature, based on descriptive information and knowledge of the overall structure of the Sekhiyā group within the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka. Serious students should seek out the original Pāli text together with traditional commentaries in order to arrive at a more precise and complete understanding of this training rule.