One of the teachers I follow says that the Vinaya (227 rules for buddhist monastics, and commentary) is full of good lessons. It particular, it gives specific examples of heedfulness.
I finally read through all the rules and most of the commentary compiled by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Buddhist Monastics Code, free online)
This is a bit of a gem.
73
Not being ill, I will not defecate or urinate while standing: a training to be observed.
Arguing from the Commentary’s allowance under the following rule, it would seem that a bhikkhu who needs to urinate, finds himself in a public restroom, and can no longer hold himself in while waiting for a toilet, would qualify as “ill” here and so would be able to use a urinal without penalty.
My dad recently has told me not to pee standing up, and I have to admit that I haven't been 100% in following it.
I think this rule makes a lot of sense with regards to keeping toilet areas clean. Back in the buddha's time, I would guess this meant squatting by the hole rather than spraying all over the place (and missing). Nowadays, with modern toilets, it's about sitting down. Urinals are not allowed (a modern interpretation of the rule).
I have noticed that the dhamma rules are judged based on the same principle as what was taught to Rahula. Look at the results. If they are good, keep the rule. If they are not good, revise it.
Although one could make a rule that says, "if you have to pee standing up, be careful." But buddhism has a different calculus. What is gained by letting monks pee standing up? Not much. And what is gained by asking monks to not stand up? Not that much either, but it avoids a few complications. Pissing when windy. Accidental spray.
Heedfulness also is at play here. Some sects of buddhism even proscribe the position one should use to sleep. So, having clear rules is helpful training for the mind. More precisely, it wrests control away from the mind that tries to just do what it feels like. It asks the mind to do things in a very very careful way. Watching. Heedful. Alert. Mindful.
There is also the famous Kasambi (sp?) incident. As told by Kevin Griffin, the monks got split fighting about whether a monk followed the proper bathroom etiquette. In that day, it was the custom to have some rinsing water in a vessel by the toilet. Apparently, one of the monks failed to refill it. In the modern day, it would be fighting on if someone forgot to replace the empty toilet paper roll.
It started small but then became a full fledged disagreement. The community took sides. They lobbied the Buddha.
The Buddha, according to that telling and the commentary in the Vinaya (vibhanga), was so fed up, he left the community. The community realized what they were doing... Creating dukkha, stress, and animosity. They resolved it. My memory tells me that the Buddha didn't have to decide one way or another... And this is testament to his teaching ability. Letting them figure it out helped them much more than hectoring.
It is an interesting study in the human behavior around partisanship and division. People who are prone to argue will find something to argue about. Having a mind primed for argument is a cause of arguments.
In my own life, it reminds me to be careful with whom I associate. There are plenty of people who are prone to fights. They would even fight about rules for pissing.
I'm fine with just following the rule as a training and as heedfulness. Sitting down isn't going to get in the way of the dhamma practice. In fact, putting aside my likes and dislikes is good practice.
After all, the (outside) world is insatiable, insufficient, a slave to craving. It does not endure.
https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/ChantingGuide/Section0013.html
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