Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pd 4Asking for Molasses
Pāli / Sanskrit:Phāṇitaviññāpana
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Scripture on Asking for Molasses (Phāṇitaviññāpana)
Context
The Scripture on Asking for Molasses (Phāṇitaviññāpana) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, an important part of the Pāli Canon in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This scripture appears among regulations concerning the lifestyle of monks and nuns, specifically restrictions on the use of foods in order to protect diligence in practice and develop awareness of mind.
The context in which this scripture arose is connected with concrete events in the community of monks and nuns under the Buddha. The Buddha’s disciples encountered difficulties in following teachings on moderation and non-greed. Some monks and nuns asked permission to use honey or sweet substances such as molasses and syrup to maintain health. This event prompted the Buddha to issue clear rules to ensure the spiritual and physical safety of renunciants.
Main Content
This scripture prescribes that monks and nuns may not arbitrarily ask for or use substances such as honey, molasses, cane sugar, or other sweet substances except in special permitted cases. This is not because these substances are bad in themselves, but because they can become materials for the arising of craving, laziness, or attachment to the needs of the body.
The law prescribes that if a monk or nun wishes to use molasses for healing or for a legitimate medical reason, they must inform the monastic community or elders who have sufficient authority to decide. This is to avoid the situation in which an individual pursues private pleasures while hiding under the name of religious practice.
This scripture also reflects a basic principle of the Theravāda Vinaya: every action of a renunciant must be controlled and reviewed transparently. From the manner of eating and drinking to the choice of medicines, all are opportunities to train the mind and avoid actions that harm practice.
Practical Meaning
The Scripture on Asking for Molasses teaches that practice is not the absolute rejection of the body’s needs, but the intelligent regulation of those needs.
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