Dhutanga
Dhutānga: lit. means of 'shaking off the defilements'; method of purification, ascetic or austere praxis. These are strict observances recommended by the Buddha to Bhikkhus as a help to cultivate contentedness, withdrawal, energy and the like. One or more of them may be observed for a shorter or longer period of time.
- The Bhikkhu 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 dhutāngas consisting in the vows of
- Wearing patched-up robes: pamsukūlik'anga,
- Wearing only three robes:tecīvarik'anga,
- Going for alms-food: pindapātik'anga,
- Not omitting any house whilst going for food:sapadānikanga,
- Eating at one sitting:ekāsanik'anga,
- Eating only from the food-bowl:pattapindik'anga,
- Refusing all further food: khalu-pacchā-bhattik'anga,
- Living in the forest: āraññik'anga,
- Living under a tree:rukkha-mūlik'anga,
- Living in the open air:abbhokāsik'anga,
- Living in a cemetery:susānik'anga,
- Being satisfied with whatever dwelling: yathā-santhatik'anga,
- 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 Bhikkhus, it is a great advantage to live in the forest as a hermit, to collect one's food, 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 Bhikkhus depends on the collected food 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 intention, 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 food; 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.
On dhutānga practice in modern Thailand, see With Robes and Bowl, by Bhikkhu Khantipalo WHEEL 82/83.
References
Maha Thera Nyanatiloka. Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines, Buddhist Publication Society, first edition 1952.