Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pd 3Receiving Food From Designated Families

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀṬIDESANĪYA

3. RECEIVING FOOD FROM A DESIGNATED FAMILY

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

1. The Disciple Who Has Attained Realization

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling on Vulture Peak Mountain near the city of Rājagaha. At that time, there was a lay household in which both husband and wife had faith and were disciples of the Buddha. It is the customary practice of disciples of the Buddhas who have attained the path of stream-entry that toward the bhikkhus they withhold nothing, not even the flesh of their own bodies.

Whenever bhikkhus came to their house, they would always offer food and requisites. They made offerings in this way until they became impoverished, lacking both food and clothing. The neighbors all spoke thus: "That family was formerly very wealthy and abundantly prosperous.

Since they began making offerings to the ascetics, disciples of Śākya, their wealth has dried up and they have been reduced to such poverty. In this way, reverence and generosity lead only to destitution!"

The bhikkhus heard of this. Among them were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the dhutaṅga austeries, delighted in training in the precepts, and were possessed of a sense of shame; these rebuked the other bhikkhus: "Why do you go repeatedly to that lay household to receive food and offerings without knowing what is enough, to the point of exhausting their family's wealth in this manner?"

The bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, then sat to one side, and reported this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One thereupon, on account of this matter, assembled the community of bhikkhus and rebuked those bhikkhus:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the practice of ascetics, not in accordance with pure conduct, not in accordance with proper behavior — it is something that should not be done. Why have you gone repeatedly to that lay household to receive food and offerings, to the point of reducing the family to such poverty?"

2. The Kammavācā for the Designated Family

Having rebuked the bhikkhus by numerous means, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"From this time forth, I permit the Sangha to perform the act of designating that household as a 'training family' by means of a formal act with one motion and one proclamation. The act is to be performed as follows: Among the assembly, one competent bhikkhu should be appointed to perform the kammavācā, and the motion is to be put thus:

"'Venerable Sangha, please listen. In this city of Rājagaha there is a lay household in which both husband and wife have attained pure faith and are disciples of the Buddha. Their family wealth has been exhausted. If it is agreeable to the Sangha, the Sangha should approve; the Sangha now performs the kammavācā of designating this family as a training family, and bhikkhus are not to go to that household to receive food and eat it. This is the motion.

"'Venerable Sangha, please listen. In this city of Rājagaha there is a lay household in which both husband and wife have attained pure faith and are disciples of the Buddha. Their family wealth has been exhausted. The Sangha now confers upon them the kammavācā of designation as a training family; bhikkhus are not to go to that household to receive food and eat it. Those elders who agree that the Sangha should confer upon those householders the kammavācā of designation as a training family, please remain silent. Those who do not agree, please speak.

"'The Sangha has approved the conferral upon those householders of the kammavācā of designation as a training family. The Sangha approves and therefore is silent. This matter is so recorded.'"

"From this time forth, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus, for ten reasons, down to the phrase: in order that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be stated as follows.

Whatever bhikkhu, knowing that a family has been designated a training family and that the Sangha has already performed the kammavācā of designation as a training family, goes to that house and receives food to eat, must confess before other bhikkhus, saying: "Venerable One, I have committed an offense worthy of censure; I now confess and repent before you, Venerable One." This is a rule requiring confession.

The Blessed One having laid down this precept for the bhikkhus in this manner, some bhikkhus who had previously received invitations from the family were uncertain and did not dare to go. The Buddha instructed:

"If there has been a prior invitation, it is permitted to go."

At that time, a bhikkhu who was ill did not dare to receive food from the training family's household. The Buddha instructed:

"From this time forth, bhikkhus who are ill are permitted to receive food from a training family's household and eat it."

At that time, some bhikkhus saw that the person giving food placed it on the ground to offer it; they were uncertain and did not dare to receive it. Or when someone was sent to bring the food, they also did not dare to receive it. The Buddha instructed:

"It is permitted to receive it."

From this time forth, the precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu, when there has already been a kammavācā performed designating a family as a training family, with respect to that training family — without a prior invitation, and not being ill — receives food with his own hand and eats it: that bhikkhu must confess before other bhikkhus, saying: "I have committed an offense worthy of censure; I have done what ought not to be done. I now confess and repent before you, Venerable One." This is a rule requiring confession.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhu: the meaning is as above.

Training family: one upon whom the Sangha has conferred the formal act with one motion and one proclamation.

Lay household: as explained above.

Ill: also as explained above.

Whatever bhikkhu, with respect to such a training family upon which the Sangha has previously performed the kammavācā — when he has not been invited beforehand and is not ill — receives food in that training family's household and eats it: for each mouthful eaten, he incurs a pāṭidesanīya offense.

A bhikkhunī incurs a duṣkṛta. A śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, a śrāmaṇerī — each incurs a duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if there has been a prior invitation; or if one is ill; or if the food is placed on the ground to be given; or if it is received through another person; or if the training family's property, after having been donated, remains still abundant. In all such cases there is no offense.

3. Dissolution of the Kammavācā for the Training Family

When that training family's wealth had again become abundant, they came before the Sangha to request the dissolution of the kammavācā for the training family. The bhikkhus reported this to the Buddha. The Buddha instructed:

"If the training family's wealth has again become abundant, and they come before the Sangha to request the dissolution of the kammavācā of designation as a training family, the Sangha should perform a formal act with one motion and one proclamation to dissolve it for them. Among the assembly, one competent bhikkhu should be appointed to perform the kammavācā, and the motion is to be put thus:

"'Venerable Sangha, please listen. In this city of Rājagaha there is a lay household in which both husband and wife have attained pure faith and are disciples of the Buddha. Because of their delight in making offerings, their wealth became exhausted. Previously the Sangha conferred upon them the kammavācā of designation as a training family. Now their wealth has again become abundant, and they have come before the Sangha to request the dissolution of the kammavācā of designation as a training family. If it is agreeable to the Sangha, the Sangha should approve; the Sangha now dissolves the kammavācā of designation as a training family. This is the motion.

"'Venerable Sangha, please listen. In this city of Rājagaha there is a lay household in which both husband and wife have attained pure faith and are disciples of the Buddha. Because of their delight in making offerings, their wealth became exhausted. Previously the Sangha conferred upon them the kammavācā of designation as a training family. Now their wealth has again become abundant, and they have come before the Sangha to request the dissolution of the kammavācā of designation as a training family. Those elders who agree that the Sangha should dissolve the kammavācā of designation as a training family for those householders, please remain silent. Those who do not agree, please speak.

"'The Sangha has approved the dissolution of the kammavācā of designation as a training family for those householders. The Sangha approves and therefore is silent. This matter is so recorded.'"

At that time, the bhikkhus were all uncertain and did not dare to receive food from the householders for whom the kammavācā of designation as a training family had been dissolved. They reported this to the Buddha. The Buddha instructed:

"From this time forth, bhikkhus are permitted to receive food in that household. Receiving it in this way is not an offense."

Those who do not offend: one who commits the offense for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is mentally deranged; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is afflicted and oppressed by suffering.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Edited and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002.