Lzh Dg Bu Vb Sk 43Slurping

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– ŚAIKṢA-KARAṆĪYA

RULE 43

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a lay devotee invited the bhikkhus to make an offering of fine foods. Having prepared everything during the night, early the next morning he came to invite the bhikkhus to come and receive the meal.

The bhikkhus put on their robes, took their bowls, and went to the lay devotee's house, seating themselves in their places. The lay devotee personally served the food with his own hands. The group of six bhikkhus scooped up and slurped their food and broth with loud sounds. The lay devotee, feeling displeasure, said: "These Śākyan monastics have no sense of shame… they eat like pigs, dogs, camels, cattle, donkeys, birds, and crows!"

The bhikkhus heard this, and among them were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the austere qualities of dhutaṅga, delighted in training in the precepts, and had a sense of shame. They rebuked the group of six bhikkhus and then went to the Blessed One, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They presented this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the Saṅgha of bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhus… as before, up to and including the passage: "From this day forward, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus comprising ten beneficial purposes, up to and including the long endurance of the true Dharma."

The rule should be stated thus:

One should not eat by slurping food with sounds — śaikṣa-karaṇīya.

Here, "slurping food" means opening the mouth wide and drawing food in from a distance with sound. If a bhikkhu deliberately slurps food with sound, he commits a duṣkṛta offense requiring confession. Because it is done intentionally, it is a transgression of proper deportment, a duṣkṛta. If done unintentionally, it is also a duṣkṛta.

Bhikkhunīs, as well as novice monks and novice nuns — duṣkṛta. This is called a transgression.

Non-transgression: if one is afflicted with some illness at the time; or if the mouth is in pain; or if one is eating broth, eating curds, curd-whey, sura-vīla sauce, or bitter wine — in all such cases there is no transgression.

Those who do not transgress: one who commits the act for the first time before the rule has been established; one who is mentally deranged, of confused mind, or in pain and distress.

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 Publication Committee, 2002