Bu Sk 5555. Receiving with soiled hand
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sāmisa
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Interpretation of the Sāmisa Sutta (Bu Sk 55)
Receiving with Soiled Hands
Background
The Sāmisa Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, an important part of the Discipline (Vinaya Piṭaka) of Theravāda Buddhism. The background of this sutta arises from the monastic life of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs during the time of the Buddha Śākyamuni. In the communal life of the Sangha, matters concerning cleanliness, impurity, and rules of proper conduct were set forth by the Buddha in order to maintain discipline and provide spiritual training for his disciples.
This sutta concerns a specific situation: the receiving of food or other offerings with soiled, unclean hands. This is not merely an ordinary matter of hygiene, but rather a concern for purity in the spiritual sense and for the respect owed to the act of offering by lay communities. This matter relates directly to the practice of bhikkhus, since they depend upon the offerings of the people to sustain their lives of practice.
Main Content
The Pāli word "Sāmisa" means "soiled hand," or in a broader context, "with soiled hand" (receiving with soiled hand). This sutta addresses the rule that bhikkhus should not receive food (bhojana) or other offerings from the hands of donors if those hands are soiled or unclean.
The fundamental reason for this rule is to maintain integrity (sīla) within the monastic community. When a bhikkhu receives an offering from soiled hands, this is not merely a matter of physical hygiene, but also reflects a lack of respect toward the act of offering. Every action of a bhikkhu carries educational significance; by declining to receive with soiled hands, the bhikkhu indirectly guides those who make offerings in the spirit of respect and reverent preparation when presenting their gifts.
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