Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Pācittiya 37: The Training Rule on Eating at The Wrong Time.
- Translated from the Pali by Brahmali Bhikkhu.
Origin story
1
At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Rājagaha in the squirrel sanctuary in the Bamboo Grove. At that time in Rājagaha there was a festival at the top of one of the hills, and monks from the group of seventeen went to see it. When people saw those monks, they bathed them, anointed them, fed them staples, and gave them non-staple food. They then took that food and brought it back to the monastery. And they said to the monks from the group of six: “Take food and eat it!"
“But where did you get this food?" And they told them.
“So are you eating at the wrong time?"
“Yes."
The monks from the group of six complained and criticised them: “How can those monks from the group of seventeen eat at the wrong time?"
2 And they informed the monks. The monks of few desires … complained and criticised those monk: “How can the monks from the group of seventeen eat at the wrong time?" … “Is it true, monks, that you do this?" “It’s true, Master." The Buddha, the Master, criticised him: “ … Foolish men, how can you eat at the wrong time? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
3 “If a monk eats staple or non-staple food at the wrong time, he commits an offence entailing confession."
Definitions
4 A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who is ordained by a complete Sangha through a procedure of one motion and three announcements, which is unchallengeable and fit to stand; this sort of monk is meant in this case.
5 Wrong time: when the middle of the day has passed, until dawn.
6 Non-staple food: apart from the five staple foods, the post-midday allowables, the seven-day allowables, and the lifetime allowables - the rest is called ‘non-staple food.’
7 Staple food: there are five kinds of staple food: cooked grain, porridge, flour, fish, and meat.
8 If he receives staple or non-staple food with the intention of eating it, he commits and offence of bad conduct. For every mouthful, he commits an offence entailing confession.
Permutations
9 If it is the wrong time, and he perceives it as the wrong time, and he eats staple or non-staple food, he commits an offence entailing confession. If it is the wrong time, but he has doubts about it, and he eats staple or non-staple food, he commits an offence entailing confession. If it is the wrong time, but he perceives it as the right time, and he eats staple or non-staple food, he commits an offence entailing confession.
10If he receives post-midday allowables, seven-day allowables, or lifetime allowables for the purpose of food, he commits an offence of bad conduct. For every mouthful, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is the right time, but he perceives it as the wrong time, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is the right time, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is the right time, and he perceives it as the right time, there is no offence.
Non-offences
11There is no offence: if he uses post-midday allowables, seven-day allowables, or lifetime allowables when there is a reason; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
12The seventh rule, the training rule on eating at the wrong time, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. tena kho pana samayena rājagahe giraggasamajjo hoti. sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū giraggasamajjaṃ dassanāya agamaṃsu. manussā sattarasavaggiye bhikkhū passitvā nahāpetvā vilimpetvā bhojetvā khādanīyaṃ adaṃsu. sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū khādanīyaṃ ādāya ārāmaṃ gantvā chabbaggiye bhikkhū etadavocuṃ— "gaṇhāthāvuso, khādanīyaṃ khādathā"ti. "kuto tumhehi, āvuso, khādanīyaṃ laddhan"ti? sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū chabbaggiyānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. "kiṃ pana tumhe, āvuso, vikāle bhojanaṃ bhuñjathā"ti? "evamāvuso"ti. chabbaggiyā bhikkhū ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū vikāle bhojanaṃ bhuñjissantī"ti.
2 atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhikkhūnaṃ etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū vikāle bhojanaṃ bhuñjissantī"ti … pe … "saccaṃ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, vikāle bhojanaṃ bhuñjathā"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, vikāle bhojanaṃ bhuñjissatha. netaṃ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
3 "yo pana bhikkhu vikāle khādanīyaṃ vā bhojanīyaṃ vā khādeyya vā bhuñjeyya vā, pācittiyan"ti. (37:86)
4 yo panāti yo yādiso … pe … bhikkhūti … pe … ayaṃ imasmiṃ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.
5 vikālo nāma majjhanhike vītivatte yāva aruṇuggamanā.
6 khādanīyaṃ nāma pañca bhojanāni— yāmakālikaṃ sattāhakālikaṃ yāvajīvikaṃ ṭhapetvā avasesaṃ khādanīyaṃ nāma.
7 bhojanīyaṃ nāma pañca bhojanāni— odano, kummāso, sattu, maccho, maṃsaṃ.
8 "khādissāmi bhuñjissāmī"ti paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti pācittiyassa.
9 vikāle vikālasaññī khādanīyaṃ vā bhojanīyaṃ vā khādati vā bhuñjati vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. vikāle vematiko khādanīyaṃ vā bhojanīyaṃ vā khādati vā bhuñjati vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. vikāle kālasaññī khādanīyaṃ vā bhojanīyaṃ vā khādati vā bhuñjati vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.
10 yāmakālikaṃ sattāhakālikaṃ yāvajīvikaṃ āhāratthāya paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti dukkaṭassa. kāle vikālasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. kāle vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. kāle kālasaññī, anāpatti.
11 anāpatti— yāmakālikaṃ sattāhakālikaṃ yāvajīvikaṃ sati paccaye paribhuñjati, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.