Origin story

First sub-story

1 At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time a certain association was preparing a meal at a public rest-house not far from Sāvatthī. Then, after dressing in the morning, monks from the group of six took their bowl and robe and entered Sāvatthī for alms. But when they did not get any alms, they went to that public rest-house. Because it was long since they had been there, people served them respectfully.

For a second and third day those monks did the same thing. Then they thought, “We have no business at the monastery, and tomorrow we will just have to come back right here," and so they stayed on and on right there, eating at the rest-house. And members of other sects departed. People then complained and criticised them: “How can these Sakyan ascetics stay on and on, eating at a public rest-house? We don’t prepare the public rest-house food just for them; we prepare it for everyone."

2 Monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires … complained and criticised those monks: “How can those monks from the group of six stay on and on, eating at a public rest-house?" … “Is it true, monks, that you do this?" “It’s true, Master." The Buddha, the Master, criticised them: “ … Foolish men, how can you stay on and on, eating at a public rest-house? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

Preliminary ruling

3 “If a monk eats more than one meal at a public rest-house, he commits an offence entailing confession."

4 In this way the Master laid down this training rule for the monks.

Second sub-story

5 Soon afterwards Venerable Sāriputta was travelling in the Kosalan country towards Sāvatthī when he came to a public rest-house. Because it was long since he had been there, people served him respectfully. After he had eaten, Venerable Sāriputta became severely ill, and he was not able to leave that rest-house. Then on the second day too those people said to him: “Eat, bhante." But since he knew that the Master had prohibited eating at a public rest-house after staying on and on, and because he was afraid of wrongdoing, he did not accept it. As a consequence he missed his meal.

6 When he arrived at Sāvatthī, he informed the monks of what had happened, and they in turn informed the Master. The Master then spoke on the Dhamma and addressed the monks: “Monks, I allow a sick monk to stay on at a public rest-house and eat there." And so, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

Final ruling

7 “If a monk who is not sick eats more than one meal at a public rest-house, he commits an offence entailing confession."

Definitions

8 Not sick: he is able to leave that rest-house.

9 Sick: he is not able to leave that rest-house.

10Meal at a pubic rest-house: as much as one needs of any of the five staple foods, prepared for the general public, in a hall, under a roof-cover, at the foot of a tree, or in the open. A monk who is not sick may eat there once. If he receives food beyond that with the intention of eating it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. For every mouthful, he commits an offence entailing confession.

Permutations

11If he is not sick, and he perceives himself as not sick, and he eats more than one meal at a public rest-house, he commits an offence entailing confession. If he is not sick, but he has doubts about it, and he eats more than one meal at a public rest-house, he commits an offence entailing confession. If he is not sick, but he perceives himself as sick, and he eats more than one meal at a public rest-house, he commits an offence entailing confession.

12If he is sick, but he perceives himself as not sick, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If he is sick, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If he is sick, and he perceives himself as sick, there is no offence.

Non-offences

13There is no offence: if he is sick; if he is not sick and he eats once; if he eats after leaving and then returning; if he eats after being invited by the owners; if the food is prepared for him; if there is not as much as one needs; if it is anything apart from the five staple foods; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

14The first rule, the training rule on rest-house meals, is finished.

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1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena sāvatthiyā avidūre aññatarassa pūgassa āvasathapiṇḍo paññatto hoti. chabbaggiyā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṃ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṃ piṇḍāya pavisitvā piṇḍaṃ alabhamānā āvasathaṃ agamaṃsu. manussā—  "cirassampi bhadantā āgatā"ti sakkaccaṃ parivisiṃsu. atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū dutiyampi divasaṃ … pe …   tatiyampi divasaṃ pubbaṇhasamayaṃ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṃ piṇḍāya pavisitvā piṇḍaṃ alabhamānā āvasathaṃ gantvā bhuñjiṃsu. atha kho chabbaggiyānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ etadahosi—  "kiṃ mayaṃ karissāma ārāmaṃ gantvā. hiyyopi idheva āgantabbaṃ bhavissatī"ti, tattheva anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjanti. titthiyā apasakkanti. manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—  "kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjissanti. nayimesaññeva āvasathapiṇḍo paññatto; sabbesaññeva āvasathapiṇḍo paññatto"ti.

2 assosuṃ kho bhikkhū tesaṃ manussānaṃ ujjhāyantānaṃ khiyyantānaṃ vipācentānaṃ. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe …   te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—  "kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjissantī"ti … pe … "saccaṃ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjathā"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe …   kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjissatha. netaṃ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe …   evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha— 

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3 "eko āvasathapiṇḍo bhuñjitabbo. tato ce uttari bhuñjeyya, pācittiyan"ti.

4 evañcidaṃ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ paññattaṃ hoti.

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5 tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto kosalesu janapade sāvatthiṃ gacchanto yena aññataro āvasatho tenupasankami. manussā—  "cirassampi thero āgato"ti sakkaccaṃ parivisiṃsu. atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa bhuttāvissa kharo ābādho uppajji, nāsakkhi tamhā āvasathā pakkamituṃ. atha kho te manussā dutiyampi divasaṃ āyasmantaṃ sāriputtaṃ etadavocuṃ—  "bhuñjatha, bhante"ti. atha kho āyasmā sāriputto—  "bhagavatā paṭikkhittaṃ anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjitun"ti kukkuccāyanto na paṭiggahesi; chinnabhatto ahosi. atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiṃ gantvā bhikkhūnaṃ etamatthaṃ ārocesi. bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ.

6 atha kho bhagavā etasmiṃ nidāne etasmiṃ pakaraṇe dhammiṃ kathaṃ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—  "anujānāmi, bhikkhave, gilānena bhikkhunā anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjituṃ. evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha— 

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7 "agilānena bhikkhunā eko āvasathapiṇḍo bhuñjitabbo. tato ce uttari bhuñjeyya, pācittiyan"ti. (31:80)

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8 agilāno nāma sakkoti tamhā āvasathā pakkamituṃ.

9 gilāno nāma na sakkoti tamhā āvasathā pakkamituṃ.

10 āvasathapiṇḍo nāma pañcannaṃ bhojanānaṃ aññataraṃ bhojanaṃ— sālāya vā maṇḍape vā rukkhamūle vā ajjhokāse vā anodissa yāvadattho paññatto hoti. agilānena bhikkhunā sakiṃ bhuñjitabbo. tato ce uttari "bhuñjissāmī"ti paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti pācittiyassa.

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11 agilāno agilānasaññī tatuttari āvasathapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa. agilāno vematiko tatuttari āvasathapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa. agilāno gilānasaññī tatuttari āvasathapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa.

12 gilāno agilānasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. gilāno vematiko āpatti dukkaṭassa. gilāno gilānasaññī, anāpatti.

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13 anāpatti—  gilānassa, agilāno sakiṃ bhuñjati, gacchanto, vā āgacchanto vā bhuñjati, sāmikā nimantetvā bhojenti, odissa paññatto hoti, na yāvadattho paññatto hoti, pañca bhojanāni ṭhapetvā sabbattha anāpatti, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

14 āvasathapiṇḍasikkhāpadaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ paṭhamaṃ.