- Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law Theravāda Vinaya
- The Great Analysis Mahāvibhaṅga
- The chapter on offenses entailing confession Pācittiyakaṇḍa
- The subchapter on eating Bhojanavagga
39. The training rule on fine foods 39. Paṇītabhojanasikkhāpada
Origin story
First sub-story
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. the monks from the group of six were eating fine foods that they had requested for themselves. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjanti. People complained and criticized them, Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How can the Sakyan monastics eat fine foods that they have requested for themselves? “kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjissanti. Who doesn’t like nice food? Who doesn’t prefer tasty food?” Kassa sampannaṁ na manāpaṁ, kassa sāduṁ na ruccatī”ti.
The monks heard the complaints of those people, Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How can the monks from the group of six eat fine foods that they have requested for themselves?” … “kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjissantī”ti …pe… “Is it true, monks, that you do this?” “saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā 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, paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā 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—
Preliminary ruling
‘If a monk asks for any of these kinds of fine foods for himself—that is, ghee, butter, oil, honey, syrup, fish, meat, milk, and curd—and then eats it, he commits an offense entailing confession.’” “Yāni kho pana tāni paṇītabhojanāni, seyyathidaṁ— sappi navanītaṁ telaṁ madhu phāṇitaṁ maccho maṁsaṁ khīraṁ dadhi. Yo pana bhikkhu evarūpāni paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjeyya, pācittiyan”ti.
In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks. Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.
Second sub-story
At one time a number of monks were sick. Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū gilānā honti. The monks who were looking after them asked, Gilānapucchakā bhikkhū gilāne bhikkhū etadavocuṁ—“I hope you’re bearing up? I hope you’re getting better?” “kaccāvuso, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyan”ti?
“Previously we ate fine foods that we had requested ourselves, and then we were comfortable. “Pubbe mayaṁ, āvuso, paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjāma, tena no phāsu hoti; But now that the Buddha has prohibited this, we don’t request because we’re afraid of wrongdoing. And because of that we’re not comfortable.” idāni pana ‘bhagavatā paṭikkhittan’ti kukkuccāyantā na viññāpema, tena no na phāsu hotī”ti.
They told the Buddha. Bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ. Soon afterwards he gave a teaching and addressed the monks: Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—
“Monks, I allow a sick monk to eat fine foods that he has requested for himself. “anujānāmi, bhikkhave, gilānena bhikkhunā paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjituṁ.
And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
Final ruling
‘If a monk who is not sick asks for any of these kinds of fine foods for himself—that is, ghee, butter, oil, honey, syrup, fish, meat, milk, and curd—and then eats it, he commits an offense entailing confession.’” “Yāni kho pana tāni paṇītabhojanāni, seyyathidaṁ— sappi navanītaṁ telaṁ madhu phāṇitaṁ maccho maṁsaṁ khīraṁ dadhi. Yo pana bhikkhu evarūpāni paṇītabhojanāni agilāno attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjeyya, pācittiyan”ti.
Definitions
- These kinds of fine foods: Yāni kho pana tāni paṇītabhojanānīti
- Ghee: sappi nāma
- ghee from cows, ghee from goats, ghee from buffaloes, or ghee from whatever animal whose meat is allowable. gosappi vā ajikāsappi vā mahiṁsasappi vā, yesaṁ maṁsaṁ kappati tesaṁ sappi.
- Butter: Navanītaṁ nāma
- butter from those same animals. tesaññeva navanītaṁ.
- Oil: Telaṁ nāma
- sesame oil, mustard oil, honey-tree oil, castor oil, oil from fat. tilatelaṁ sāsapatelaṁ madhukatelaṁ eraṇḍatelaṁ vasātelaṁ.
- Honey: Madhu nāma
- honey from bees. makkhikāmadhu.
- Syrup: Phāṇitaṁ nāma
- from sugarcane. ucchumhā nibbattaṁ.
- Fish: Maccho nāma
- what lives in water is what is meant. udako vuccati.
- Meat: Maṁsaṁ nāma
- the meat of those animals whose meat is allowable. yesaṁ maṁsaṁ kappati, tesaṁ maṁsaṁ.
- Milk: Khīraṁ nāma
- milk from cows, milk from goats, milk from buffaloes, or milk from whatever animal whose meat is allowable. gokhīraṁ vā ajikākhīraṁ vā mahiṁsakhīraṁ vā, yesaṁ maṁsaṁ kappati, tesaṁ khīraṁ.
- Curd: Dadhi nāma
- curd from those same animals. tesaññeva dadhi.
- 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.
- Any of these kinds of fine foods: Evarūpāni paṇītabhojanānīti
- such kinds of fine foods. tathārūpāni paṇītabhojanāni.
- Who is not sick: Agilāno nāma
- who is comfortable without fine foods. yassa vinā paṇītabhojanāni phāsu hoti.
- Who is sick: Gilāno nāma
- who is not comfortable without fine foods. yassa vinā paṇītabhojanāni na phāsu hoti.
If he is not sick and he requests for himself, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. Agilāno attano atthāya viññāpeti, payoge dukkaṭaṁ. When he receives it with the intention of eating it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Paṭilābhena “bhuñjissāmī”ti paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. For every mouthful swallowed, he commits an offense entailing confession. Ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti pācittiyassa.
Permutations
If he is not sick, and he does not perceive himself as sick, and he eats fine foods that he has requested for himself, he commits an offense entailing confession. Agilāno agilānasaññī paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa. If he is not sick, but he is unsure of it, and he eats fine foods that he has requested for himself, he commits an offense entailing confession. Agilāno vematiko paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa. If he is not sick, but he perceives himself as sick, and he eats fine foods that he has requested for himself, he commits an offense entailing confession. Agilāno gilānasaññī paṇītabhojanāni attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If he is sick, but he does not perceive himself as sick, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Gilāno agilānasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If he is sick, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Gilāno vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If he is sick, and he perceives himself as sick, there is no offense. Gilāno gilānasaññī anāpatti.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: Anāpatti—if he is sick; gilānassa, if he asked for it when he was sick, but eats it when he is no longer sick; gilāno hutvā viññāpetvā agilāno bhuñjati, if he eats the leftovers from one who is sick; gilānassa sesakaṁ bhuñjati, if it is from relatives; ñātakānaṁ, if it is from those who have given an invitation; pavāritānaṁ, if it is for the benefit of someone else; aññassatthāya, if it is by means of his own property; attano dhanena, if he is insane; ummattakassa, if he is the first offender. ādikammikassāti.
The training rule on fine foods, the ninth, is finished. Paṇītabhojanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ navamaṁ.