Lzh Dg Bu Vb Sk 35Receiving With Attention on the Bowl

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– ŚIKṢĀKARAṆĪYA

RULE 35

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a householder invited the Saṅgha of bhikkhus to receive an offering of fine foods the following morning. During that night he made full preparations, and early the next morning he came to invite the Saṅgha to come for the meal.

The bhikkhus put on their robes, took up their bowls, went to the householder's home, and took their seats. The householder personally, with his own hands, served food to the Saṅgha. One of the bhikkhus among the group of six bhikkhus, having received rice and curry, looked about on both sides. Seizing the opportunity, the bhikkhu seated next to him took his portion of curry and hid it. When the bhikkhu looked back and did not see the curry, he asked:

"Where has the portion of curry I just received gone?"

The bhikkhu seated nearby said:

"Have you just arrived from somewhere?"

The other replied:

"I was sitting right here; I placed the curry before me, and when I looked to both sides, the curry was gone!"

The bhikkhus heard of this, and among them those who were of few desires, who were content, who lived the ascetic practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who had a sense of shame, rebuked the group of six bhikkhus: "Why did you look about on both sides after receiving the curry?"

The bhikkhus came to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They reported this entire matter to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, using this matter as occasion, assembled the Saṅgha of bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhus:

"What you have done is wrong — it is not in accordance with proper deportment, not in accordance with the Dharma of a śramaṇa, not pure conduct, not fitting conduct. You have done what ought not to be done. Why, after receiving rice and curry, did you look about on both sides?"

At that time, the Blessed One, having rebuked them with countless skillful means, said to the bhikkhus:

"These foolish men are a field that cultivates many seeds of the āsavas; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus, comprising ten aims, down to the aim that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be stated as follows:

One must keep one's attention on the bowl while eating — this is a śikṣākaraṇīya.

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Not keeping attention on the bowl means looking about on both sides. If a bhikkhu intentionally does not keep his attention on the bowl, he commits a duṣkṛta offense requiring confession. Because it is done intentionally, he commits a duṣkṛta offense of improper deportment. If it is done unintentionally, he commits a duṣkṛta offense.

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

Non-offense: if one is afflicted with such an illness; or if the bhikkhu seated nearby is ill; or if one's eyesight is dim; if one looks in order to receive food — to determine what is pure or impure, what has been received or not yet received, what has been accepted or not yet accepted; or to observe the time; or if one's life is in danger, or one's chastity is threatened and one must look about in order to escape — in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits it for the first time before the rule has been laid down; one who is mad; 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 by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002