Lzh Dg Bu Vb Sk 32Asking for Rice and Curry

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– ŚAIKṢA-DHARMA

RULE 32

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a householder invited the community of monks to come the following morning to receive an offering of fine foods. Having prepared everything during the night, he came early in the morning to request the monks to come and receive the meal.

When the time came, the monks put on their robes, took up their bowls, and went to the householder's home, where they sat down in their seats. The householder personally served fine food to the community of monks. The group of six monks, however, demanded food for themselves like people who are starving. Seeing this, the householder reproached them, saying: "These Śākyan monastics have no sense of shame. They receive without knowing satisfaction. Outwardly they proclaim, 'I know the true Dharma.' Yet where is the true Dharma in this behavior?"

The monks heard this, and among them were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the dhūta qualities, delighted in training in the precepts, and had a sense of shame. They reproached the group of six monks: "Why do you demand food for yourselves?"

The monks went to the Blessed One, bowed at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the community of monks and reprimanded the group of six monks:

"What you have done is wrong, improper, not in keeping with the deportment of monastics, not in accordance with the Dharma of śramaṇas, not pure conduct, not befitting behavior—you have done what should not be done. Why did you demand food for yourselves?"

At that time, the Blessed One reprimanded them with countless skillful means and then said to the monks:

"These foolish men are a fertile ground for many defiled seeds—they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall establish a precept for the monks, encompassing ten principles, up to and including the continued long-lasting preservation of the true Dharma."

Wishing to recite the precept, it should be recited as follows:

One must not demand food for oneself—śaikṣa-dharma.

The Blessed One established the precept for the monks in this way. At that time, some monks who were ill were uncertain and did not dare to request food for themselves, nor did they dare to request food on behalf of others; and when others requested food and brought it to them, they did not dare to eat it. The Buddha instructed:

"From this day forward, monks who are ill are permitted to request food for themselves, to request food on behalf of others, or when others request food on their behalf, they may eat it."

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

Whatever monk, not being ill, must not demand rice and curry for himself—śaikṣa-dharma.

Monk: the meaning is as explained above.

If that monk, not being ill, intentionally demands rice or curry for himself, he commits a duṣkṛta offense requiring confession. Because it is done intentionally, he commits a duṣkṛta of improper deportment. If it is done unintentionally, he commits a duṣkṛta.

A bhikṣuṇī: duṣkṛta. A śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, a śrāmaṇerī: duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if on account of illness one requests for oneself, or requests on behalf of another, or another requests on one's behalf, or without making any request one receives spontaneously—there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits it for the first time before the precept was established, one who is mentally confused, one whose mind is disturbed, one who is tormented and oppressed by suffering.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikṣu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002