Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 28Accepting Two or Three Bowls Full
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dvittipattapūrapaṭiggahaṇa
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Commentary on the Dvittipattapūrapaṭiggahaṇa Sutta
The Acceptance of Two or Three Bowls Full
Background
This rule is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Pātimokkha section of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. During the time when the Tathāgata Gotama was still present in the world, the Buddhist Sangha gradually became a widely organized community of practice. The matter of monks receiving food arose from actual practice: many households would offer bowls of rice, but certain monks took advantage of the generosity of the lay followers by accepting an excessive number of portions in a single occasion. This caused inconvenience to the householders and was incompatible with the virtue of moderation that monks are expected to uphold.
This text records a rule established by the Buddha, intended to regulate the conduct of receiving food so that it would be reasonable and in keeping with the moral conduct of one who has gone forth. It reflects the Buddha's wisdom in balancing inner self-restraint with clearly structured guidelines.
Main Content
This rule stipulates that a monk should not accept more than three bowls full of food in a single instance of receiving from a householder or group of lay followers. Accepting two or three bowls full is considered a reasonable amount; if one exceeds this number, the act becomes improper (asajjha).
This principle is not an absolute prohibition on the quantity of food a monk may consume, but rather a guideline concerning attitude and conduct when receiving the generosity of laypeople. Its purpose is to ensure that a monk does not appear overly greedy or immoderate, which would thereby diminish the image of the Dharma.
This rule is also connected to the principles of appicchata (having few wishes) and santuṭṭhi (contentment, knowing sufficiency) — qualities that are essential to monastic virtue. A wise monk should receive enough to sustain the body, but should not excessively exploit the generosity of others.
Practical Significance
This text speaks not only of food, but is also a profound lesson in moderation (appamāda) and respect for the compassionate generosity of lay followers.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.