13 ascetic practises

🌷13 ascetic practises (Dhutangas) 🌷

For those who like to keep a very strict disciplinary practise to augment their normal precepts observance, there are thirteen ascetic practises (Dhutangas) enumerated as follows:

       1) wearing robes made of rag cloths from the rubbish heap

       2) wearing only three robes

       3) living on food received by going on almsround

       4) begging food straight from house to house

       5) eating only once a day at one sitting

       6) eating from one vessel

       7) refusing (eating) of food in excess of the regulations

       8) dwelling in the woods

       9) dwelling at the root of a tree

       10) dwelling in the open air

       11) dwelling in or near a cemetery

       12) not altering the mat or bed when it has been spread out for sleeping on

       13) sleeping in a sitting position.

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🌷The thirteen dhutanga practices🌷

1. Refuse-rag-wearer's Practice (pamsukulik'anga) —

wearing robes made up from discarded or soiled cloth and not accepting and wearing ready-made robes offered by householders.

2. Triple-robe-wearer's Practice (tecivarik'anga) —

Having and wearing only three robes and not having additional allowable robes.

3. Alms-food-eater's Practice (pindapatik'anga) —

eating only food collected on pindapata or the almsround while not accepting food in the vihara or offered by invitation in a layman's house.

4. House-to-house-seeker's Practice (sapadanik'anga) —

not omitting any house while going for alms; not choosing only to go to rich households or those selected for some other reason as relations, etc.

5. One-sessioner's practice (ekasanik'anga) —

eating one meal a day and refusing other food offered before midday. (Those Gone Forth may not, unless ill, partake of food from midday until dawn the next day.)

6. Bowl-food-eater's Practice (pattapindik'anga) —

eating food from his bowl in which it is mixed together rather than from plates and dishes.

7. Later-food-refuser's Practice (khalu-paccha-bhattik'anga) —

not taking any more food after one has shown that one is satisfied, even though lay-people wish to offer more.

8. Forest-dweller's Practice (Araññik'anga) —

not dwelling in a town or village but living secluded, away from all kinds of distractions.

9. Tree-root-dweller's Practice (rukkhamulik'anga) —

living under a tree without the shelter of a roof.

10. Open-air-dweller's Practice (abbhokasik'anga) —

refusing a roof and a tree-root, the practice may be undertaken sheltered by a tent of robes.

11. Charnel-ground-dweller's Practice (susanik'anga) —

living in or nearby a charnel-field, graveyard or cremation ground (In ancient India there would have been abandoned and unburied corpses as well as some partially cremated corpses in such places.)

12. Any-bed-user's Practice (yatha-santhatik'anga) —

being satisfied with any dwelling allotted as a sleeping place.

13. Sitter's Practice (nesajjik'anga) —

living in the three postures of walking, standing and sitting and never lying down.

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🌷dhutānga🌷

(lit. 'means of shaking off (the defilements)');

'means of purification', ascetic or austere practices.

These are strict observances recommended by the Buddha to monks as a help to cultivate contentedness, renunciation, energy and the like.

One or more of them may be observed for a shorter or longer period of time.

"The monk training himself in morality should take upon himself the means of purification, in order to gain those virtues through which the purity of morality will become accomplished, to wit: fewness of needs,contentedness, austerity, detachment, energy, moderation, etc."
(Vis.M. II).

Vis.M. II describes 13 dhutangas, consisting in the vows of

1. wearing patched-up robes: pamsukūlik'anga,
2. wearing only three robes: tecīvarik'anga,
3. going for alms: pindapātik'anga,
4. not omitting any house whilst going for alms: sapadānikanga,
5. eating at one sitting: ekāsanik'anga,
6. eating only from the alms-bowl: pattapindik'anga,
7. refusing all further food: khalu-pacchā-bhattik'anga,
8. living in the forest: āraññik'anga,
9. living under a tree: rukkha-mūlik'anga,
10. living in the open air: abbhokāsik'anga,
11. living in a cemetery: susānik'anga,
12. being satisfied with whatever dwelling: yathā-santhatik'anga,
13. sleeping in the sitting position (and never lying down): nesajjik'anga.

These 13 exercises are all, without exception, mentioned in the old sutta texts (e.g. M. 5, 113; A.V., 181-90), but never together in one and the same place.

🌷"Without doubt, o monks, it is a great advantage to live in the forest as a hermit, to collect one's alms, to make one's robes from picked-up rags, to be satisfied with three robes" (A.I, 30).

The vow, e.g. of No. 1, is taken in the words: "I reject robes offered to me by householders," or "I take upon myself the vow of wearing only robes made from picked-up rags."

Some of the exercises may also be observed by the lay-adherent.

Here it may be mentioned that each newly ordained monk, immediately after his being admitted to the Order, is advised to be satisfied with whatever robes, alms-food, dwelling and medicine he gets: "The life of the monks depends on the collected alms as food ... on the root of a tree as dwelling ... on robes made from patched-up rags ... on stale cow's urine as medicine. May you train yourself therein all your life."

🌷Since the moral quality of any action depends entirely upon the accompanying intention and volition, this is also the case with these ascetic practices, as is expressly stated in Vis.M.

Thus the mere external performance is not the real exercise, as it is said (Pug. 275-84): "Some one might be going for alms; etc. out of stupidity and foolishness - or with evil intention and filled with desires - or out of insanity and mental derangement - or because such practice had been praised by the Noble Ones...." These exercises are, however properly observed "if they are taken up only for the sake of frugality, of contentedness, of purity, etc."(App.)

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🌷Kassapa Samyutta deal chiefly with Maha Kassapa's austere way of life, which was highly praised and commended by the Buddha.

But on one occasion the Buddha reminded Kassapa that he had now grown old, and that he must find his coarse, worn-out rag-robes irksome to use. Therefore, the Buddha suggested, he should now wear robes offered by householders, accept also their invitations for alms offerings, and live near him.

But Kassapa replied: "For a long time I have been a forest-dweller, going the almsround, and wearing rag-robes; and such a life I have commended to others. I have had few wants, lived contented, secluded, applying strenuous energy; and that too I have commended to others."

The Buddha asked: "But for what reason do you live so?"

Kassapa replied that he had two reasons:

1) his own well being here and now, and

2) his compassion for later generations which, when hearing about such a life, would emulate it.

Then the Buddha said: "Well spoken, Kassapa, well spoken! You have lived for the happiness of many, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit and welfare of gods and men. You may then keep to your coarse rag-robes, go out for alms, and live in the forest "
(S.16.5).

"This our Kassapa," said the Buddha, "is satisfied with whatever robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicine he obtains. For the sake of these he will not do anything that is unbefitting for a monk. If he does not obtain any of these requisites, he is not perturbed; and when he obtains them, he makes use of them without clinging or infatuation, not committing any fault, aware of (possible) dangers and knowing them as an escape (from bodily affliction). By the example of Kassapa, or by one who equals him, I will exhort you, monks. Thus admonished, you should practice in the same way"
(S.16: 1).