Lzh Mg Bu Pm Pc 35Eating Unoffered Food

Sutta on Eating Unoffered Food (Dantapona)

Background

In the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, the regulations concerning food and the manner of eating for bhikkhus are established on the basis of the principle of samādāna (undertaking and reception) and respect for the local community. The Dantapona Sutta belongs to the Pātimokkha Samvara (the fourfold restraint of the Pātimokkha), the fundamental rules that enable bhikkhus to cultivate purity and to live in a manner befitting a life of mutual dependence with the community.

The distinction between offered food and unoffered food is a matter of ethical practice. Food that is offered consciously, with a mind of faith, by members of a household or of society, carries sacred and ethical value. Conversely, food that is taken without permission or voluntary offering gives rise to fault at the level of karma (habitual tendency).

Main Content

This sutta stipulates that a bhikkhu should not eat food that has not been properly offered. Specifically, when a bhikkhu receives food from another person — whether that food be of fine or inferior quality — the quality of the offering must be unambiguous. If a person has no intention of making an offering but merely leaves food behind, the bhikkhu commits an offense if he consumes it.

This principle is directly related to the concept of anumatī (permission, consent, or offering). A bhikkhu should eat only food that has been properly offered with the clear consent of the one who offers it. This protects the honor and integrity of the Saṅgha and averts suspicion on the part of society regarding monastics being greedy or taking advantage of others.

Eating unoffered food may result in a Pācittiya (a light offense) or a Dukkaṭa (an act of wrongdoing), depending upon the specific circumstances. This underscores the fact that a subtle and vigilant orientation toward protecting ethical observance is of the utmost importance in the life of the Saṅgha.