Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 40Asking for Fine Foods

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

40. DEMANDING FINE FOODS

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, Upananda the Śākyan had a merchant as his lay supporter. At the time for alms-rounds, Upananda the Śākyan put on his robe, took up his bowl, went to the home of that merchant, and said the following:

"Now I wish to obtain some fine and delicious food."

The merchant asked:

"At present, what illness does the Venerable One have, that he should need to think of such food?"

He replied:

"I have no illness whatsoever. I simply wish to obtain such food."

The merchant said:

"We are merchants who trade for our livelihood, and yet we ourselves cannot obtain such food—how much less one who has gone forth."

At that time, bhikkhus on their alms-round heard these words and reproved Upananda the Śākyan:

"Why do you seek to obtain fine food solely for your own sake?"

When the bhikkhus on their alms-round had finished eating, they returned to the monastery and related this matter to the other bhikkhus. Among them were those of few desires, who were content, who practiced the ascetic observances, who were fond of training in the precepts, and who knew shame and remorse; they reproved Upananda the Śākyan:

"Why do you seek to obtain fine food solely for your own sake?"

The bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, bowed at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter fully to the Blessed One. The Blessed One thereupon, on account of this matter, assembled the community of bhikkhus and rebuked Upananda the Śākyan with manifold expedient means:

"What you have done is wrong, contrary to proper conduct, contrary to the Dharma of a śramaṇa, contrary to pure conduct, contrary to harmonious behavior—it is something that should not be done. Upananda, why do you seek fine food solely for your own sake?"

Having rebuked Upananda with manifold expedient means, the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish Upananda is a field where many defiled seeds grow; he is the first to have violated this precept. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhus, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the purpose that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Should there be fine foods such as milk, butter, fish, and meat, and a bhikkhu, for such fine food, demands and obtains it solely for his own sake in order to eat it—a pācittiya.

The Blessed One laid down the precept for the bhikkhus in this way. At that time, bhikkhus who were ill, upon hearing this, were fearful and did not dare to ask, did not dare to ask on behalf of ill bhikkhus, and having obtained such food, did not dare to eat it.

The Buddha instructed:

"From this day forward, ill bhikkhus are permitted to ask; others are permitted to ask on behalf of ill bhikkhus. Having obtained it, they are permitted to eat it."

From this day forward, the precept should be stated as follows:

Should there be fine foods such as milk, butter, fish, and meat, and a bhikkhu who is not ill, for such fine food, demands and obtains it solely for his own sake in order to eat it—a pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: as defined above.

Fine foods: milk, butter, fish, and meat.

Illness: to the extent that one does not have sufficient strength to sit and finish a single meal.

Should a bhikkhu who is not ill demand and eat these fine foods for his own sake, with each mouthful eaten he incurs one pācittiya.

For a bhikkhunī, a duṣkṛta. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī, a duṣkṛta. These are called transgressions.

Non-transgression: one who is ill asks for himself; one who asks on behalf of an ill person; obtaining food on an alms-round and eating it; or one asking on behalf of another, or another asking on behalf of oneself; or obtaining food without asking—in all such cases there is no transgression.

Those who do not transgress: one who commits an offense for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is insane; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is overcome by pain and torment.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002