Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Pācittiya 33: The Training Rule on Eating One Meal Before Another.
- Translated from the Pali by Brahmali Bhikkhu.
Origin story
First sub-story
1
At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Vesālī in the hall with the peaked roof in the Great Wood. At that time in Vesālī a succession of fine meals had been arranged. A certain poor worker then thought, “Why donʼt I prepare a meal? It will not be inferior compared to the meal respectfully prepared by these people."
Then that worker went to his boss Kira and said: “Young Master, I wish to prepare a meal for the Sangha of monks headed by the Buddha. Give me my salary."
Because Kira also had faith and confidence, he gave the worker his salary and much extra. That worker then went to the Master, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. He then said: “Bhante, please accept a meal from me tomorrow together with the Sangha of monks."
“Do you know that the Sangha of monks is large?"
“Let the Sangha be large, bhante. I have prepared much jujube and also drinks mixed with jujube." And the Master consented by remaining silent.
2
The worker understood that the Master had consented, and he rose from his seat, circumambulated the Master with his right side towards him, and left.
The monks heard that a poor worker had invited the Sangha headed by the Buddha for a meal on the following day, complete with drinks mixed with jujube. And so they ate in the morning after walking for alms.
When people heard that a poor worker had invited the Sangha headed by the Buddha for a meal, they brought much food of various kinds to him. The following morning that worker prepared that food, and then informed the Master: “Itʼs time, bhante, the meal is ready."
3
Then, after dressing in the morning, the Master took his bowl and robe and went to the house of that poor worker, where he sat down on the prepared seat, together with the Sangha. That worker then served the monks in the kitchen. But the monks kept saying, “Give just little!"
“Bhantes, do not accept so little because you think I am just poor worker. I have prepared much food of various kinds. Bhantes, please accept as much as you like."
“We are not accepting so little because of that, but because we ate in the morning after walking for alms."
4 Then that poor worker complained and criticised them: “How can the venerables eat elsewhere when invited by me? Am I not able to give as much as they need?"
5 Monks heard the complaints of that worker, and the monks of few desires … complained and criticised those monks: “How can those monks eat elsewhere when invited for a meal?" … “Is it true, monks, that monks do this?" “It’s true, Master." The Buddha, the Master, criticised them: “ … How can those foolish men eat elsewhere when invited for a meal? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Preliminary ruling
6 “If a monk eats one meal before another, he commits an offence entailing confession."
7 In this way the Master laid down this training rule for the monks.
Second sub-story
8
Soon afterwards a monk became sick. Another monk took some almsfood, went to that monk, and told him to eat it.
“I can’t, I’m expecting another meal."
But that almsfood only arrived at noon, and that monk was not able to eat as much as he had intended. They then informed the Master of what had happened. The Master then spoke on the Dhamma and addressed the monks: “Monks, I allow a sick monk to eat one meal before another. And so, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Preliminary ruling
9 “If a monk eats one meal before another, unless there is an appropriate reason, he commits an offence entailing confession. The appropriate reason is this: the monk is sick."
10In this way the Master laid down this training rule for the monks.
Third sub-story
11Around that time, during the robe-giving season, people prepared a meal together with robe-cloth, and then invited the monks: “We wish to offer you a meal and then give you robe-cloth." Knowing that the Master had prohibited eating one meal before another and being afraid of wrongdoing, they did not accept. As a result they only obtained a small amount of robe-cloth. They informed the Master of what had happened. … “Monks, I allow you to eat one meal before another when robe-cloth is being given. And so, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Preliminary ruling
12“If a monk eats one meal before another, unless there is an appropriate reason, he commits an offence entailing confession. The appropriate reasons are these: the monk is sick, robe-cloth is being given."
13In this way the Master laid down this training rule for the monks.
Fourth sub-story
14Around that time, people invited monks who were making a robe for a meal. Knowing that the Master had prohibited eating one meal before another and being afraid of wrongdoing, they did not accept. They informed the Master of what had happened. … “Monks, I allow you to eat one meal before another when a robe is being made. And so, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
15“If a monk eats one meal before another, unless there is an appropriate reason, he commits an offence entailing confession. The appropriate reasons are these: a monk is sick, robe-cloth is being given, a robe is being made."
16In this way the Master laid down this training rule for the monks.
Fifth sub-story
17Around that time, the Master dressed in the morning, took his bowl and robe and went to a certain family with Venerable Ānanda as his attendant. He sat down on the prepared seat and the people gave him and Venerable Ānanda staple food. Being afraid of wrongdoing, Venerable Ānanda did not accept it. The Master said: “Accept it, Ānanda."
“I can’t, Master, I’m expecting another meal."
“Well then, Ānanda, assign the other meal to someone else and then receive this."
Soon afterwards the Master spoke on the Dhamma and addressed the monks: “Monks, I allow you to eat one meal before another if you assign the other meal to someone else. And, monks, this is how it should be assigned: ‘I give my expected meal to so-and-so.’"
Definitions
18Eats one meal before another: if he has been invited to eat any of the five staple foods, and he then eats any of the five staple foods elsewhere, this is called, ‘eats one meal before another.’
19Unless there is an appropriate reason: except at an appropriate time.
20A monk is sick: if he is not able to eat as much as he needs in one go, he may eat one meal before another.
21Robe-cloth is being given: if he has not done the kathina ceremony, he may eat one meal before another during the last month of the rainy season. If he has done the kathina ceremony, he may eat one meal before another during the five month period. That is, the last month of the rainy season, plus the four months of the cold season,
22A robe is being made: when a robe is being made, he may eat one meal before another.
23If he receives food with the intention of eating it, unless there is an appropriate reason, he commits an offence of bad conduct. For every mouthful, he commits an offence entailing confession.
Permutations
24If it is one meal before another, and he perceives it as one meal before another, and he eats it, unless there is an appropriate reason, he commits an offence entailing confession. If it is one meal before another, but he has doubts about it, and he eats it, unless there is an appropriate reason, he commits an offence entailing confession. If it is one meal before another, but he does not perceive it as one meal before another, and he eats it, unless there is an appropriate reason, he commits an offence entailing confession.
25If it is not one meal before another, but he perceives it as one meal before another, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is not one meal before another, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is not one meal before another, and he does not perceive it as one meal before another, there is no offence.
Non-offences
26There is no offence: if he has an appropriate reason; if he assigns his other meal to someone else and then eats; if he eats the food from two or three invitations together; if he eats the meals in the same order that the invitations were received; if he is invited by a whole village and he eats anywhere in that village; if he is invited by a whole association and he eats anywhere within that association; if, when being invited, he says, “I will get almsfood;" if it is a regular meal invitation; if it is a meal invitation decided by drawing lots; if it is on the half-moon day; if it is on the uposatha day; if it is on the day after the uposatha; if it is anything apart from the five staple foods; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
27The third rule, the training rule on eating one meal before another, is finished.
1
tena samayena buddho bhagavā vesāliyaṃ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṃ. tena
kho pana samayena vesāliyaṃ paṇītānaṃ bhattānaṃ bhattapaṭipāṭi adhiṭṭhitā hoti.
atha kho aññatarassa daliddassa kammakārassa etadahosi— "na kho idaṃ orakaṃ
bhavissati yathayime manussā sakkaccaṃ bhattaṃ karonti; yannūnāhampi bhattaṃ
kareyyan"ti. atha kho so daliddo kammakāro yena kirapatiko tenupasankami;
upasankamitvā taṃ kirapatikaṃ etadavoca— "icchāmahaṃ, ayyaputta,
buddhappamukhassa bhikkhusaṇghassa bhattaṃ kātuṃ. dehi me vetanan"ti. sopi kho
kirapatiko saddho hoti pasanno. atha kho so kirapatiko tassa daliddassa
kammakārassa abbhātirekaṃ vetanaṃ adāsi. atha kho so daliddo kammakāro yena
bhagavā tenupasankami; upasankamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi.
ekamantaṃ nisinno kho so daliddo kammakāro bhagavantaṃ etadavoca— "adhivāsetu
me, bhante, bhagavā svātanāya bhattaṃ saddhiṃ bhikkhusaṇghenā"ti. "mahā kho,
āvuso, bhikkhusaṇgho, jānāhī"ti. "hotu, bhante, mahā bhikkhusaṇgho. bahū me
badarā paṭiyattā badaramissena peyyā paripūrissantī"ti. adhivāsesi bhagavā
tuṇhībhāvena.
2 atha kho so daliddo kammakāro bhagavato adhivāsanaṃ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṃ katvā pakkāmi. assosuṃ kho bhikkhū— "daliddena kira kammakārena svātanāya buddhappamukho bhikkhusaṇgho nimantito, badaramissena peyyā paripūrissantī"ti. te kālasseva piṇḍāya caritvā bhuñjiṃsu. assosuṃ kho manussā— "daliddena kira kammakārena buddhappamukho bhikkhusaṇgho nimantito"ti. te daliddassa kammakārassa pahūtaṃ khādanīyaṃ bhojanīyaṃ abhihariṃsu. atha kho so daliddo kammakāro tassā rattiyā accayena paṇītaṃ khādanīyaṃ bhojanīyaṃ paṭiyādāpetvā bhagavato kālaṃ ārocāpesi— "kālo, bhante, niṭṭhitaṃ bhattan"ti.
3 atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṃ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena tassa daliddassa kammakārassa nivesanaṃ tenupasankami; upasankamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi saddhiṃ bhikkhusaṇghena. atha kho so daliddo kammakāro bhattagge bhikkhū parivisati. bhikkhū evamāhaṃsu— "thokaṃ, āvuso, dehi. thokaṃ, āvuso, dehī"ti. "mā kho tumhe, bhante, ‘ayaṃ daliddo kammakāro’ti thokaṃ thokaṃ paṭiggaṇhittha. pahūtaṃ me khādanīyaṃ bhojanīyaṃ paṭiyattaṃ. paṭiggaṇhatha, bhante, yāvadatthan"ti. "na kho mayaṃ, āvuso, etaṃkāraṇā thokaṃ thokaṃ paṭiggaṇhāma. api ca, mayaṃ kālasseva piṇḍāya caritvā bhuñjimhā; tena mayaṃ thokaṃ thokaṃ paṭiggaṇhāmā"ti.
4 atha kho so daliddo kammakāro ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti— "kathañhi nāma bhadantā mayā nimantitā aññatra bhuñjissanti. na cāhaṃ paṭibalo yāvadatthaṃ dātun"ti?
5 assosuṃ kho bhikkhū tassa daliddassa kammakārassa ujjhāyantassa khiyyantassa vipācentassa. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma bhikkhū aññatra nimantitā aññatra bhuñjissantī"ti … pe … "saccaṃ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhū aññatra nimantitā aññatra bhuñjantī"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma te, bhikkhave, moghapurisā aññatra nimantitā aññatra bhuñjissanti. netaṃ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
6 "paramparabhojane pācittiyan"ti.
7 evañcidaṃ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ paññattaṃ hoti.
8 tena kho pana samayena aññataro bhikkhu gilāno hoti. aññataro bhikkhu piṇḍapātaṃ ādāya yena so bhikkhu tenupasankami; upasankamitvā taṃ bhikkhuṃ etadavoca— "bhuñjāhi, āvuso"ti. "alaṃ, āvuso, atthi me bhattapaccāsā"ti. tassa bhikkhuno piṇḍapāto ussūre āharīyittha. so bhikkhu na cittarūpaṃ bhuñji. bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. atha kho bhagavā etasmiṃ nidāne etasmiṃ pakaraṇe dhammiṃ kathaṃ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi— "anujānāmi, bhikkhave, gilānena bhikkhunā paramparabhojanaṃ bhuñjituṃ. evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
9 "paramparabhojane, aññatra samayā, pācittiyaṃ. tatthāyaṃ samayo. gilānasamayo— ayaṃ tattha samayo"ti.
10 evañcidaṃ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ paññattaṃ hoti.
11 tena kho pana samayena manussā cīvaradānasamaye sacīvarabhattaṃ paṭiyādetvā bhikkhū nimantenti— "bhojetvā cīvarena acchādessāmā"ti. bhikkhū kukkuccāyantā nādhivāsenti— "paṭikkhittaṃ bhagavatā paramparabhojanan"ti. cīvaraṃ parittaṃ uppajjati. bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ … pe … anujānāmi, bhikkhave, cīvaradānasamaye paramparabhojanaṃ bhuñjituṃ. evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
12 "paramparabhojane, aññatra samayā, pācittiyaṃ. tatthāyaṃ samayo. gilānasamayo, cīvaradānasamayo— ayaṃ tattha samayo"ti.
13 evañcidaṃ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ paññattaṃ hoti.
14 tena kho pana samayena manussā cīvarakārake bhikkhū bhattena nimantenti. bhikkhū kukkuccāyantā nādhivāsenti— "paṭikkhittaṃ bhagavatā paramparabhojanan"ti. bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ … pe … anujānāmi, bhikkhave, cīvarakārasamaye paramparabhojanaṃ bhuñjituṃ. evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
15 "paramparabhojane, aññatra samayā, pācittiyaṃ. tatthāyaṃ samayo. gilānasamayo, cīvaradānasamayo, cīvarakārasamayo— ayaṃ tattha samayo"ti. (33:82)
16 evañcidaṃ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ paññattaṃ hoti.
17 atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṃ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya āyasmatā ānandena pacchāsamaṇena yena aññataraṃ kulaṃ tenupasankami; upasankamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. atha kho te manussā bhagavato ca āyasmato ca ānandassa bhojanaṃ adaṃsu. āyasmā ānando kukkuccāyanto na paṭiggaṇhāti. "gaṇhāhi, ānandā"ti. "alaṃ, bhagavā, atthi me bhattapaccāsā"ti. "tenahānanda, vikappetvā gaṇhāhī"ti. atha kho bhagavā etasmiṃ nidāne etasmiṃ pakaraṇe dhammiṃ kathaṃ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi— "anujānāmi, bhikkhave, vikappetvā paramparabhojanaṃ bhuñjituṃ. evañca pana, bhikkhave, vikappetabbaṃ— ‘mayhaṃ bhattapaccāsaṃ itthannāmassa dammī’"ti.
18 paramparabhojanaṃ nāma pañcannaṃ bhojanānaṃ aññatarena bhojanena nimantito, taṃ ṭhapetvā aññaṃ pañcannaṃ bhojanānaṃ aññataraṃ bhojanaṃ bhuñjati, etaṃ paramparabhojanaṃ nāma.
19 aññatra samayāti ṭhapetvā samayaṃ.
20 gilānasamayo nāma na sakkoti ekāsane nisinno yāvadatthaṃ bhuñjituṃ. "gilānasamayo"ti bhuñjitabbaṃ.
21 cīvaradānasamayo nāma anatthate kathine vassānassa pacchimo māso, atthate kathine pañca māsā. "cīvaradānasamayo"ti bhuñjitabbaṃ.
22 cīvarakārasamayo nāma cīvare kayiramāne. "cīvarakārasamayo"ti bhuñjitabbaṃ.
23 "aññatra samayā bhuñjissāmī"ti paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti pācittiyassa.
24 paramparabhojane paramparabhojanasaññī, aññatra samayā, bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa. paramparabhojane vematiko, aññatra samayā, bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa. paramparabhojane naparamparabhojanasaññī, aññatra samayā, bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
25 naparamparabhojane paramparabhojanasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. naparamparabhojane vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. naparamparabhojane naparamparabhojanasaññī, anāpatti.
26 anāpatti— samaye, vikappetvā bhuñjati, dve tayo nimantane ekato bhuñjati, nimantanapaṭipāṭiyā bhuñjati, sakalena gāmena nimantito tasmiṃ gāme yattha katthaci bhuñjati, sakalena pūgena nimantito tasmiṃ pūge yattha katthaci bhuñjati, nimantiyamāno bhikkhaṃ gahessāmīti bhaṇati, niccabhatte, salākabhatte, pakkhike, uposathike, pāṭipadike, pañca bhojanāni ṭhapetvā sabbattha anāpatti, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.