Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 76Raw Grain
Pāli / Sanskrit:Āmakadhañña
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Explanation of the Āmakadhañña Discourse (Raw Grain)
Background
The Āmakadhañña discourse is recorded in the Pātimokkha, the code of training rules for Buddhist monks and nuns. It is one of the conditions regulated in the Vinaya Piṭaka, intended to guide bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs on the path of pure practice. The discourse began from an event in Sangha life, when the Buddha found that some bhikkhus had violated the discipline by using requisites in an improper way. Specifically, this discourse raises the issue of consuming uncooked food (āmakadhañña), especially raw grain or grains not fully cooked.
This background reflects the practical situation of the early Sangha in India, where bhikkhus lived by alms (piṇḍapāta), the offerings of food and necessities from laypeople. The issue arose when certain practices did not comply properly with principles concerning nutrition and the health of practitioners.
Main Content
The Āmakadhañña discourse states that bhikkhus are not permitted to consume raw grains that have not been processed or fully cooked, unless the food has been properly prepared according to Sangha rules. This is not an absolute prohibition, but a subtle instruction intended to protect health and maintain the purity of practitioners.
The deeper reason for this regulation is that raw rice or uncooked grains are not easily digested and may harm the health of bhikkhus, weakening their ability to meditate and practice. Moreover, preparing or storing food on one’s own may lead to misuse or laxity in discipline. Therefore, the Buddha established this rule so that bhikkhus would consume only food that had been properly and purely prepared.
The discourse is also connected with the issue of storing things up and failing to let go of small matters.
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