Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 81Giving Food
Pāli / Sanskrit:Bhojanadāna
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Commentary on the Bhojanadāna Sutta (The Discourse on Offering Food)
Background
The Bhojanadāna Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, reflecting detailed regulations concerning the manner in which food is to be offered to bhikkhus within the monastic community. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of prohibitions, but rather a set of guidelines for communal living intended to cultivate discipline and shared well-being.
The context in which this text was composed arises from specific situations that occurred during the communal life of the Blessed One Śākyamuni and his disciples. The regulations concerning the offering of food (bhojanadāna) reflect the spirit of practice and the mutual respect among members of the Saṅgha.
Principal Content
The Bhojanadāna focuses on the ethical principles pertaining to the offering and sharing of food among members of the monastic community. In the Theravāda tradition, the offering of food is regarded as an act of mindfulness and loving-kindness (mettā), not as a mechanical obligation.
This text emphasizes that the offering of food must be carried out with a pure mind, free from expectation of recompense or recognition. The food provided must accord with the regulations of the Saṅgha — that is, it must not violate the ascetic practices (dhutaṅga) to which the bhikkhus have committed themselves. In particular, foods that are prohibited — such as the flesh of animals killed cruelly, or anything that gives rise to distress — must be avoided.
The fundamental principle is one of fairness and equality. No one is permitted to offer superior food to bhikkhus who are personally favored, while others are neglected. This reflects the fact that the Vinaya Piṭaka governs not only outward conduct, but also trains the mind in impartiality and evenness.
Practical Significance
The profound significance of the Bhojanadāna lies in the understanding that every act of sharing — even something as simple as offering a bowl of rice — is an opportunity to cultivate loving-kindness (karuṇā), wisdom (paññā), and virtue (sīla).
🌏 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.