2026-09-16

Thirteen Dhutaṅga Practices

(Thai) ธุดงค์ tú-dong: pilgrimage, (Skr.) धूतगुण dhūtaguṇa: qualities of the purified ascetic

Vism.: Sabbāneva panetāni tena tena samādānena dhutakilesattā dhutassa bhikkhuno aṅgāni.

All of these are factors (aṅga) of a bhikkhu who is "shaken" (dhuta), because his defilements have been shaken off by this or that undertaking.

dhūta [√dhū + ta] 'shaken off' not to be confused with
dhota [√dhov + ta] 'washed, cleaned' also used in the sense of 'purified'

dhūta 'shaken off' as 'purified' has Vedic origins

• nirdhūta-kleśa निर्धूत क्लेश purged off defilements
• vidhūta-pāpa विधूत पाप washed clean of sin
• dhūta-kalmaṣa धूत कल्मष cleansed of taint

"Upasanto uparato, / mantabhāṇī anuddhato;
Dhunāti pāpake dhamme, / dumapattaṁva māluto. (Thag 17.2)

Calmed, restrained, / giving counsel unruffled,
he shakes off evil qualities -- / as the breeze, a leaf from a tree. (Thanissaro)

Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8-6th century BCE) Verse 8.13.1

... अश्व इव रोमाणि विधूय पापं
... aśva iva romāṇi vidhūya pāpaṁ

as a horse [shakes] its fur; I will shake off evil [any shortcomings]

Like a horse shaking its fur [to remove the dirt],
I will shake off whatever spot I may have on my character.

चन्द्र इव राहोर्मुखात्प्रमुच्य
candra iva rāhor-mukhāt-pramucya

as the moon gets free from the mouth of Rāhu

धूत्वा शरीरमकृतं कृतात्मा
dhūtvā śarīram-akṛtaṃ kṛtātmā

laying down the body; having accomplished everything;

ब्रह्मलोकमभिसंभवामीत्यभिसंभवामीति
brahmalokam-abhisaṃbhavāmīty-abhisaṃbhavāmīti

I will attain, I will attain, the eternal Brahmaloka.

1. āraññika forest monk; forest dwelling ascetic
2. piṇḍapātika lives on alms-food; beggar
3. paṁsukūlika wears rag robes; rag robe wearer
4. rukkhamūlika lives at the foot of tree
5. sosānika lives in a cemetery
6. abbhokāsika lives in the open air
7. tecīvarika only possess or wears three robes
8. sapadānacārika goes on alms-begging not leaving a single house in his course
9. nesajjika remains in a sitting position; upright sitter
10. yathāsanthatika sleeps on any bed; accepts any dwelling
11. ekāsanika eats once a day; who eats in one sitting
12. khalupacchābhattika who does not eat after the meal
13. pattapiṇḍika eats only from alms-bowl

AN 5.190 Pattapiṇḍikasutta

"Pañcime, bhikkhave, pattapiṇḍikā. Katame pañca?
(1) Mandattā momūhattā pattapiṇḍiko hoti, (2) pāpiccho icchāpakato pattapiṇḍiko hoti,
(3) ummādā cittakkhepā pattapiṇḍiko hoti, (4) 'vaṇṇitaṁ buddhehi buddhasāvakehī'ti pattapiṇḍiko hoti,

(5) appicchataṁyeva nissāya santuṭṭhiṁyeva nissāya sallekhaṁyeva nissāya
pavivekaṁyeva nissāya idamatthitaṁyeva nissāya pattapiṇḍiko hoti.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca pattapiṇḍikā.

Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ pattapiṇḍikānaṁ yvāyaṁ pattapiṇḍiko appicchataṁyeva nissāya
santuṭṭhiṁyeva nissāya sallekhaṁyeva nissāya pavivekaṁyeva nissāya
idamatthitaṁyeva nissāya pattapiṇḍiko hoti, ayaṁ imesaṁ pañcannaṁ
pattapiṇḍikānaṁ aggo ca seṭṭho ca mokkho ca uttamo ca pavaro ca.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gavā khīraṁ, khīramhā dadhi, dadhimhā navanītaṁ,
navanītamhā sappi, sappimhā sappimaṇḍo, sappimaṇḍo tattha aggamakkhāyati;

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ pattapiṇḍikānaṁ yvāyaṁ pattapiṇḍiko
appicchataṁyeva nissāya santuṭṭhiṁyeva nissāya sallekhaṁyeva nissāya pavivekaṁyeva nissāya
idamatthitaṁyeva nissāya pattapiṇḍiko hoti,

ayaṁ imesaṁ pañcannaṁ pattapiṇḍikānaṁ aggo ca seṭṭho ca mokkho ca uttamo ca pavaro cā"ti.

Visuddhimagga, 6. Pattapiṇḍikaṅgakathā

Pattapiṇḍikaṅgampi "dutiyakabhājanaṁ paṭikkhipāmi, pattapiṇḍikaṅgaṁ samādiyāmī"ti
imesaṁ aññataravacanena samādinnaṁ hoti.

(Ñāṇamoli) [...] Now when this one-bowl eater is drinking congee and receives curry that has been placed in a separate vessel, he should either eat the curry first or drink the congee first. But if he puts the curry into the congee, then when a curry of rotten fish and the like has been put in, the congee becomes repulsive; and it is proper to eat only after making it unrepulsive. So this was said with reference to curry of that sort.

But what is not repulsive, such as honey, sugar and so on, may be put in. And in taking it, he should take only a suitable amount.

It is allowable to take green vegetables with the hand and eat them. But unless he does that they should be put into the bowl. Because a second vessel has been refused it is not allowable [to use] anything else, not even the leaf of a tree. These are its directions. [...]

Imesaṁ pana tiṇṇampi dutiyakabhājanaṁ sāditakkhaṇe dhutaṅgaṁ bhijjati. Ayamettha bhedo.

Ayaṁ panānisaṁso, nānārasataṇhāvinodanaṁ. Atricchatāya pahānaṁ, āhāre payojanamattadassitā,

thālakādipariharaṇakhedābhāvo, avikkhittabhojitā, appicchatādīnaṁ anulomavuttitā'ti.

Nānābhājanavikkhepaṁ, hitvā okkhittalocano; / Khaṇanto viya mūlāni, rasataṇhāya subbato.
Sarūpaṁ viya santuṭṭhiṁ, dhārayanto sumānaso; / Paribhuñjeyya āhāraṁ, ko añño pattapiṇḍikoti.

(Vism. 11.) Kathaṁ paribhogato? ... Atha tasmiṁ parimaddanamattenāpi sambhinnasobhe ālopaṁ katvā
mukhe ṭhapite heṭṭhimadantā udukkhalakiccaṁ sādhenti, uparimā musalakiccaṁ, jivhā hatthakiccaṁ. ...

How as to using? ... And when its good appearance has been spoilt by his squeezing it up, and it has been made into a ball and put into his mouth, then the lower teeth function as a mortar, the upper teeth as a pestle, and the tongue as a hand. It gets pounded there with the pestle of the teeth like a dog's dinner in a dog's trough, while he turns it over and over with his tongue ... (Ñāṇamoli)

MN 91 Brahmāyusutta

The student Uttara is talking to his teacher, the brahman Brahmāyu after having observed the behaviour of the Buddha:

"When receiving rice, he doesn't raise or lower the bowl, tip it forward or back.
He receives neither too little nor too much rice.
He also receives curry, taking curry in the proper proportion.
He doesn't put too much curry in his mouthful.
Having turned the mouthful over two or three times in his mouth, he swallows it.
No unchewed rice grain enters his body; no rice grain remains in his mouth.
Then he takes another mouthful.
He takes his food experiencing the taste but not experiencing passion for the taste.

"Master Gotama eats food endowed with eight factors: not playfully, nor for intoxication, ...\"