Bu Sk 5454. Licking the lips
Pāli / Sanskrit:Oṭṭhanillehaka
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Licking the Lips (Oṭṭhanillehaka)
Background
The Licking the Lips (Pāli: Oṭṭhanillehaka) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Bhikkhunī Suttavibhaṅga — the detailed rules of discipline for bhikkhunīs. It is one of the disciplinary regulations established by the Buddha to protect virtue and purity within the monastic community.
According to the Theravāda tradition, this regulation arose from a specific incident in which bhikkhunīs transgressed the precepts, compelling the Buddha to issue a warning and establish a rule. The content of this text concerns conduct incompatible with the purity of one who has gone forth into homelessness — namely, the act of licking the lips in a sensual or undiscriminating manner, which is regarded as a violation of the spirit of the Vinaya.
Main Content
This text is structured according to the typical format of the Vinaya Piṭaka: it first describes the situation of transgression, then the Buddha or earlier teachers offer admonition, and finally a specific regulation (paññatti) is proclaimed. The act of licking the lips (oṭṭha-nillehaka) in this context does not refer to ordinary movements, but rather to acts bearing signs of sensual desire, or manifesting a lack of restraint over body and mind.
According to the Theravāda Vinaya, this is regarded as dukkaṭa (an offense of wrongdoing), or in certain cases may be more serious, as it transgresses the precepts concerning sensual desire (kāma) and purity of conduct (brahmacariya). Bhikkhunīs must maintain patience, meditation, and humility in all bodily actions.
This regulation exists within a broader context — the Buddha established many detailed rules of discipline to assist monastics in their practice, helping them avoid the obstacles of pleasure, sensual desire, and impurity. The rule is not intended as punishment, but as teaching, helping practitioners to devote themselves single-mindedly to the goal of liberation from suffering (dukkha).
Practical Significance
Although this text concerns a specific regulation for bhikkhunīs, its deeper nature pertains to the restraint of bodily action. The act of licking the lips without mindfulness reflects a mental state dominated by unconscious habit and unrestrained craving.
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