Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 38Storing Food

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

38. FOOD KEPT OVERNIGHT

A. ORIGIN

At one time the Buddha was dwelling on Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain, near the city of Rājagṛha. At that time the Venerable Kāla was also there, sitting in meditation and contemplation. Each day, at the proper hour, he would put on his robe, take up his bowl, and enter the city of Rājagṛha to beg for alms.

At that time, alms-gathering within Rājagṛha was easy, and so Kāla arose in his mind the thought: "Why should I trouble myself to enter the city every day to beg for alms? Let me eat what food I have already received, and bring back what I am currently receiving." He then acted according to this thought, and carried it out accordingly.

At that time the other bhikkhus, not seeing Kāla at the time of the small meal and the great meal, discussed the matter among themselves: "We do not see Kāla at the time of the small meal and the great meal. Perhaps he has passed away, or gone far away, or has left the training, or been killed by bandits, or harmed by wild beasts — it is even possible he has been carried off by floodwaters!"

After some time, Kāla appeared again. The bhikkhus asked him:

"Where have you been these past days that we have not seen you at the time of the small meal and the great meal? We thought that you had passed away, or gone far away, or been harmed by wild beasts, or left the training, or been harmed by wild beasts."

At that time Kāla related to the bhikkhus the full account of what had happened. Among them, there were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the austere dhūta qualities, who were fond of learning the precepts, who possessed a sense of shame and moral dread, and these reproached Kāla: "How could you keep food overnight and then eat it?"

At that time the bhikkhus came to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, then sat to one side and reported this matter to the Blessed One in full. The Blessed One thereupon used this occasion to assemble the Sangha of bhikkhus. Though he already knew, he nonetheless questioned Kāla:

"Is it true that you kept food overnight and ate it?"

Kāla replied:

"It is true."

The Blessed One rebuked Kāla with countless skillful means:

"What you have done is wrong — it is not proper conduct, not the practice of a śramaṇa, not pure conduct, not conforming behavior, it is something that should not be done. Kāla, how could you keep food overnight and eat it? Although your intention may have been one of few desires and contentment, beings in future generations will imitate and follow this example."

After rebuking Kāla, the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish person is a field for sowing many defiled seeds; he is the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhus, comprising ten points of meaning, up to and including the preservation of the True Dharma for a long time."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu eats food that has been kept overnight — pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: as defined above.

Food kept overnight: food received today and kept until the following day. All disciples of the Śākyan śramaṇas who have received the higher ordination and eat such food are not pure.

Food is of two kinds: principal food and non-principal food. Non-principal food refers to food consisting of roots, up to and including food that has been ground into pieces. Principal food refers to meat, fish, dried rice, dried provisions, and cooked rice.

A bhikkhu who eats food kept overnight incurs a pācittiya for each mouthful. Eating non-timely food beyond the non-timely period — pācittiya. Receiving seven-day medicines and using them beyond seven days — pācittiya. Using lifetime medicines without a valid reason of illness — duṣkṛta.

If food is kept overnight and one perceives it as kept overnight — pācittiya. If it is kept overnight and one is uncertain — duṣkṛta. If it is not kept overnight but one perceives it as kept overnight — duṣkṛta. If it is not kept overnight but one is uncertain — duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhunī — pācittiya. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī — duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: Food that was received on a previous day and left over may be given to one's parents. Or it may be given to those building a stupa or those building lodgings, being reckoned at its equivalent value; afterward, if a bhikkhu begs from those workers and receives food back in return, that is not an offense. If food becomes lodged in a crack in the bowl, and when washing it one fears the bowl may break if one forces it out, one should wash it carefully and in accordance with the Dharma; if the food does not come out, there is no offense. If at night one receives milk, oil, butter, or fat for the purpose of instilling drops into the nostrils, and when instilling the drops the milk or oil flows back out and should be discarded — none of these constitute an offense.

Those who do not offend: one who commits an offense for the first time before the precept has been promulgated; one who is mentally deranged; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is suffering and in extreme distress.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002