Lzh Mg Bu Vb Pc 37Storing Food
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sannidhikāraka
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Sannidhikāraka Sutta (Storing Food)
Background
The Sannidhikāraka Sutta is found within the Vinaya Pitaka, specifically in the section governing the daily conduct of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. This sutta arose from a particular situation within the early monastic community, when the Buddha and his disciples encountered an issue concerning the proper preservation of food.
In Indian society during the time of the Shakyamuni Buddha, bhikkhus lived in dependence on the offerings of laypeople. However, food was not always consumed immediately upon being received. The question thus arose: how could a bhikkhu store food without violating the spirit of the training rules governing monastic practice?
The Sannidhikāraka Sutta was established to provide clear guidance on this matter, reflecting the subtle balance between the practicalities of daily life and the principles of training upheld by the Sangha.
Main Content
Sannidhikāraka (sannidhika + āraka, rendered approximately as "those who store") stipulates that bhikkhus may keep and preserve food, but must do so in accordance with specific conditions. This is not an unconditional permission, but rather a carefully regulated rule.
The sutta specifies that food permitted to be stored must be kept under certain conditions and must not be kept for too long. The primary purpose is to prevent greed (lobha) and the hoarding of possessions—two great obstacles to the spiritual development of those who have gone forth into the homeless life. The sutta does not categorically prohibit storage, as such a prohibition would create genuine practical difficulties; rather, it establishes clear boundaries to ensure that this practice does not become a form of excessive accumulation.
The principles of storage set forth here also reflect a broader principle of the Vinaya Pitaka: the rules (Pātimokkha) are formulated not merely to punish, but to support practitioners in their spiritual development. Each rule is an instrument that aids in the attainment of awakening, and not simply a restrictive injunction.
🌏 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.