Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 37Eating at the Wrong Time

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

37. EATING AT THE WRONG TIME

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling on Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain near the city of Rājagṛha. At that time, the people of Rājagṛha were celebrating a festival, with musical performances organized for the occasion.

At that time, two Śākya sons, Nanda and Upananda, went to watch the musical performances. Because Nanda and Upananda were handsome and dignified in appearance, everyone wished to gaze upon them. At that moment, someone in the crowd said:

"You are merely gazing at the Śākya sons who are śramaṇas. Why not offer them food? You should make an offering, and then gaze upon them!"

At that point, everyone gave them food. After the two Śākya sons Nanda and Upananda had eaten, they continued watching the music and singing until dusk before returning to Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain. The bhikkhus saw them and asked:

"Why have you come in at such a late hour?"

Nanda and Upananda recounted all the circumstances to the bhikkhus.

Also at that same dusk, Kāḷudāyin put on his robe, took up his bowl, and entered the city of Rājagṛha for alms. While it was growing dark, Kāḷudāyin came to beg for alms at the house of a pregnant woman. The woman brought food out to the gate, and just then lightning flashed; she suddenly saw Kāḷudāyin's countenance and, frightened, cried out loudly: "A ghost! A ghost!" As a result, she suffered a miscarriage. Kāḷudāyin said:

"Elder Sister, I am not a ghost; I am a Śākya son who is a śramaṇa."

The woman, enraged, said:

"Śākya son śramaṇa, let your entrails fall out — do not go begging for alms at night!"

Having heard these words, Kāḷudāyin returned to the monastery and recounted the circumstances to the bhikkhus.

Among those bhikkhus, there were some of few desires and contentment, who practiced the ascetic disciplines, were fond of studying the precepts, and knew shame and remorse. They reproached Nanda, Upananda, and Kāḷudāyin: "Nanda, Upananda, and Kāḷudāyin, why did you go begging for alms at the wrong time and watch musical performances?"

The bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, bowed at his feet, sat to one side, and reported all these circumstances in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One thereupon used this occasion to assemble the community of bhikkhus, and through countless skillful means reprimanded the Śākya sons Nanda and Upananda, and also Kāḷudāyin:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dharma of śramaṇas, not in accordance with pure conduct, not in accordance with proper behavior — it is something that should not be done. Nanda, Upananda, Kāḷudāyin, why did you beg for alms at the wrong time and watch musical performances?"

After the Blessed One had reprimanded the Śākya sons Nanda and Upananda, and also Kāḷudāyin, through countless skillful means, he said to the bhikkhus:

"From now on, one must not watch musical performances. Watching musical performances incurs a duṣkṛta.

"From now on, I shall establish a rule for the bhikkhus, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the perpetuation of the true Dharma for a long time."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu receives food at the wrong time and eats it, pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

The proper time: from when the dawn appears until midday. This is the lawful time for eating. The inhabitants of the four continents eat likewise.

The wrong time: from midday until the dawn has not yet appeared.

Food: there are two kinds — khādanīya and bhojanīya, each with five types as mentioned above.

If any bhikkhu receives food at the wrong time and eats it, each mouthful constitutes one pācittiya. If it is the wrong time, or beyond the wrong time, pācittiya. The seven-day medicines, if kept beyond seven days, pācittiya. Life-long medicines, if used without a proper reason, duṣkṛta. If one perceives the wrong time as the wrong time, pācittiya. If one is in doubt about the wrong time, duṣkṛta. If one perceives the wrong time as the proper time, duṣkṛta. If one perceives the proper time as the wrong time, duṣkṛta. If one is in doubt about the proper time, duṣkṛta.

Bhikkhunī: pācittiya. Śikṣamāṇā, śrāmaṇera, śrāmaṇerī: duṣkṛta. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: At one time, a bhikkhu who was going for alms saw people making molasses, which contained a certain substance called kṣīṇī; out of caution and concern, he did not dare to use it at the wrong time. The Buddha instructed: "It is permitted to use it; there is no offense. The method of preparation must be as such."

At one time, a bhikkhu who was ill took a purgative. The bhikkhus cooked porridge for him. While waiting for the porridge to be done, the proper time passed. He should cook barley without breaking the husks, strain the liquid, and use that — there is no offense. If food that has entered the throat is vomited out and swallowed again, there is no offense.

Those who do not offend: one who commits an act for the first time before the precept has been established, one who is mentally deranged, one whose mind is disturbed, one who is in severe pain and distress.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka master Buddhayaśas and Zhú Fóniàn.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002