Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 36Encouraging Another Monastic to Eat More After Refusing an Invitation

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

36. INVITING ONE WHO HAS EATEN SUFFICIENTLY

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, in the country of Śrāvastī, there were two brothers who had both become monks. One of them was fond of eating and drinking, not knowing whether he had eaten sufficiently or not, whether the food was remnant food or not; whenever he received food, he would eat it. Another monk said: "There has never been anyone like you—so fond of eating and drinking, not knowing whether you have eaten sufficiently or not, not knowing whether the food is remnant food or not; whenever you receive food, you eat it immediately."

That monk, upon hearing these words, harbored resentment. After some time had passed, he saw this other monk who, having already eaten without performing the act of making food into remnant food, was then earnestly invited to eat more. This monk ate. The food-loving monk then said:

"There has never been seen a monk so fond of food as you—not knowing whether you have eaten sufficiently or not, not knowing whether the food is remnant food or not; receiving food and eating it, knowing neither weariness nor contentment."

This monk replied:

"Though I have already eaten, I have not yet had enough."

The other monk said:

"You had already eaten your fill before."

This monk said:

"Did you know that I had eaten my fill?"

He answered:

"Yes, I knew."

This monk then asked:

"Knowing this, did you still earnestly invite me to eat?"

He answered:

"Yes, I did."

At that point this monk reproached the other monk, saying:

"Why, knowing that another monk had already eaten his fill, did you earnestly invite him to eat, wishing to cause another to transgress the precept?"

The monks who heard of this matter, among whom were those of few desires and contentment who practiced the ascetic disciplines, delighted in studying the precepts, and knew shame and remorse, reproached that monk: "Why, knowing that another had already eaten his fill, did you earnestly invite him to eat, wishing to cause him to commit an offense?"

The monks then went to where the Blessed One was, bowed with their heads at the Buddha's feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One used this cause and condition to convene the assembly of monks. Though he already knew, the Buddha still asked that monk:

"Is it true that knowing the other had already eaten his fill, you earnestly invited him to eat, wishing to cause him to transgress the precept?"

That monk replied:

"Blessed One, it is indeed so."

The Blessed One used countless skillful means to rebuke that monk:

"What you have done is wrong—it is not proper conduct, not the practice of a śramaṇa, not pure conduct, not fitting behavior; it is something that should not be done. Why, knowing that another had already eaten his fill, did you earnestly invite him to eat, wishing to cause him to transgress the precept?"

Having rebuked that monk with countless skillful means, the Blessed One addressed the monks:

"This foolish person is a field in which many seeds of the āsravas are planted; he is the first to commit this offense. From this time forward, I shall set forth the precept for the monks, comprising ten aims, down to the phrase: so that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be recited as follows:

Whatever monk, knowing that another monk has already eaten his fill, earnestly invites him to eat, saying, "Venerable, please partake of this food!"—doing so for no other purpose than to cause another to transgress the precept—pācittiya.

The Blessed One established the precept for the monks in this way. At that time, there were monks who did not know whether another had eaten or not, who did not know whether he had eaten sufficiently or not, and only afterward came to know that he had eaten sufficiently. Some of these performed the pācittiya confession, while others were fearful. The Buddha then said:

"If one does not know, there is no offense."

From this time forward, the precept shall be recited as follows:

Whatever monk, knowing that another monk has already eaten his fill, or has accepted an invitation, and yet earnestly invites him to eat, saying, "Venerable, please partake of this food!"—doing so for no other purpose than to cause another to transgress the precept—pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Monk: as explained above.

Food: there are five kinds, as previously explained.

Inviting: there are also five ways, as previously stated.

If that monk, knowing that another monk has already eaten his fill and has not performed the act of making food into remnant food, earnestly invites him to eat, saying, "Venerable, please partake of this food"—and that one accepts and eats—then for each mouthful, both incur a pācittiya. If he invites him to eat and the invited monk does not eat but discards it, the one who invited incurs a duṣkṛta. If a monk invites, and the other accepts but does not eat and puts the food aside, the one who invited incurs a duṣkṛta.

If a monk invites, and the other accepts and then transfers it to someone else, the one who invited incurs a duṣkṛta. A monk who has not performed the act of making food into remnant food gives it to another person, and that person performs the act and then eats it; the one who gave it incurs a duṣkṛta. If one gives food belonging to a sick person to another, wishing to cause that other to commit an offense, the one who gives it incurs a duṣkṛta.

If one gives leftover food of a sick person to another, wishing to cause that other to commit an offense, the one who gives it incurs a duṣkṛta. If one has performed the act of making food into remnant food and then gives it to another, wishing to cause that other to commit an offense, the one who gives it incurs a duṣkṛta.

If one perceives that one has eaten sufficiently when one has indeed eaten sufficiently—pācittiya. If one has eaten sufficiently but is doubtful—duṣkṛta. If one perceives that one has eaten sufficiently when one has not eaten sufficiently—duṣkṛta. If one has not eaten sufficiently but is doubtful—duṣkṛta.

For a bhikṣuṇī—duṣkṛta. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, and a śrāmaṇerī—duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if one did not know beforehand; or if, having eaten sufficiently, one perceived that one had not eaten sufficiently; or if one gave food intending it to be discarded and it was eaten; or if one gave food intending it to be stored and it was eaten; or if one told another to take it to someone else and that person took some and ate it; or if one gave food before the act of making it into remnant food had been performed, instructing the other to perform the act and then eat, yet that person did not perform the act and ate it; or if one gave the leftover food of a sick person without intending to cause another to commit an offense—in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not offend: one who commits the act for the first time before the precept has been established; one who is insane; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is afflicted with pain and compelled by distress.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikṣu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA, PART ONE.

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikṣu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

(Chinese translation, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, volumes 1–2.)

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002.