- Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law Theravāda Vinaya
- The Great Analysis Mahāvibhaṅga
- The chapter on offenses entailing confession Pācittiyakaṇḍa
- The subchapter on eating Bhojanavagga
37. The training rule on eating at the wrong time 37. Vikālabhojanasikkhāpada
Origin story
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, Tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. there was a hilltop fair in Rājagaha, Tena kho pana samayena rājagahe giraggasamajjo hoti. which the monks from the group of seventeen went to see. Sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū giraggasamajjaṁ dassanāya agamaṁsu. When people saw the monks, they bathed them, anointed them, fed them cooked food, and gave them fresh food. Manussā sattarasavaggiye bhikkhū passitvā nahāpetvā vilimpetvā bhojetvā khādanīyaṁ adaṁsu. They took that food and brought it back to the monastery. And they said to the monks from the group of six, Sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū khādanīyaṁ ādāya ārāmaṁ gantvā chabbaggiye bhikkhū etadavocuṁ—“Help yourselves!” “gaṇhāthāvuso, khādanīyaṁ khādathā”ti.
“But where did you get this food?” “Kuto tumhehi, āvuso, khādanīyaṁ laddhan”ti? And they told them what had happened. Sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū chabbaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.
“So, do you eat at the wrong time?” “Kiṁ pana tumhe, āvuso, vikāle bhojanaṁ bhuñjathā”ti?
“Yes.” “Evamāvuso”ti.
The monks from the group of six complained and criticized them, Chabbaggiyā bhikkhū ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How can those monks from the group of seventeen eat at the wrong time?” “kathañhi nāma sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū vikāle bhojanaṁ bhuñjissantī”ti.
They told the monks, Atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ. and the monks of few desires complained and criticized them, Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How can the monks from the group of seventeen eat at the wrong time?” … “kathañhi nāma sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū vikāle bhojanaṁ bhuñjissantī”ti …pe… “Is it true, monks, that you do this?” “saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, vikāle bhojanaṁ bhuñjathā”ti?
“It’s true, sir.” “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
The Buddha rebuked them … Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… “Foolish men, how can you do this? kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, vikāle bhojanaṁ bhuñjissatha. This will affect people’s confidence …” … Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
Final ruling
‘If a monk eats fresh or cooked food at the wrong time, he commits an offense entailing confession.’” “Yo pana bhikkhu vikāle khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā khādeyya vā bhuñjeyya vā, pācittiyan”ti.
Definitions
- A: Yo panāti
- whoever … yo yādiso …pe…
- Monk: bhikkhūti
- … The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case. …pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.
- At the wrong time: Vikālo nāma
- when the middle of the day has passed, until dawn. majjhanhike vītivatte yāva aruṇuggamanā.
- Fresh food: Khādanīyaṁ nāma
- apart from the five cooked foods, the post-midday tonics, the seven-day tonics, and the lifetime tonics—the rest is called “fresh food”. pañca bhojanāni—yāmakālikaṁ sattāhakālikaṁ yāvajīvikaṁ ṭhapetvā avasesaṁ khādanīyaṁ nāma.
- Cooked food: Bhojanīyaṁ nāma
- there are five kinds of cooked food: cooked grain, porridge, flour products, fish, and meat. pañca bhojanāni—odano, kummāso, sattu, maccho, maṁsaṁ.
If he receives fresh or cooked food with the intention of eating it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. “Khādissāmi bhuñjissāmī”ti paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. For every mouthful swallowed, he commits an offense entailing confession. Ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti pācittiyassa.
Permutations
If it is the wrong time, and he perceives it as such, and he eats fresh or cooked food, he commits an offense entailing confession. Vikāle vikālasaññī khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā khādati vā bhuñjati vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. If it is the wrong time, but he is unsure of it, and he eats fresh or cooked food, he commits an offense entailing confession. Vikāle vematiko khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā khādati vā bhuñjati vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. If it is the wrong time, but he perceives it as the right time, and he eats fresh or cooked food, he commits an offense entailing confession. Vikāle kālasaññī khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā khādati vā bhuñjati vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If he receives post-midday tonics, seven-day tonics, or lifetime tonics for the purpose of food, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Yāmakālikaṁ sattāhakālikaṁ yāvajīvikaṁ āhāratthāya paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. For every mouthful swallowed, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If it is the right time, but he perceives it as the wrong time, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Kāle vikālasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If it is the right time, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Kāle vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If it is the right time, and he perceives it as such, there is no offense. Kāle kālasaññī, anāpatti.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: Anāpatti—if, when there is a reason, he uses post-midday tonics, seven-day tonics, or lifetime tonics; yāmakālikaṁ sattāhakālikaṁ yāvajīvikaṁ sati paccaye paribhuñjati, if he is insane; ummattakassa, if he is the first offender. ādikammikassāti.
The training rule on eating at the wrong time, the seventh, is finished. Vikālabhojanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ sattamaṁ.