Lzh Mg Bu Vb Pc 39Asking for Fine Foods

– MAHĀSĀṄGHIKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA RULES

– DETAILED EXPOSITION OF THE SIXTH SECTION OF THE 92 SINGLE EXPIATION RULES.

39. RULE: REQUESTING FINE FOODS.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī, as told in full above. At that time, the group of six bhikkhus, upon going to a house that had ghee, asked for ghee; to a house that had oil, asked for oil; to a house that had fresh milk, asked for fresh milk; to a house that had buttermilk, asked for buttermilk; to a house that had honey, asked for honey; to a house that had rock sugar, asked for rock sugar; to a house that had fish, asked for fish; to a house that had meat, asked for meat.

Because of this, people of the world reproached them thus: "The ascetic Gautama uses countless skillful means to praise desiring little, knowing contentment, being easy to support, and easy to satisfy, and to criticize those who desire much, know no restraint, are difficult to support, and difficult to satisfy; yet now these ascetics will not consent to ask for coarse food, but go to a house that has ghee and ask for ghee, and so on, to a house that has meat and ask for meat.

These are corrupt individuals — what kind of path is this!"

The bhikkhus heard of this and reported the matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha then ordered the group of six bhikkhus to be summoned. When they had come, the Buddha questioned them:

—Did this matter truly occur as reported?

—It truly did, Blessed One.

—That is a bad thing. Have you not heard Me use countless skillful means to praise desiring little and to criticize desiring much? This is contrary to the Dharma, contrary to the Vinaya, contrary to My teaching, and cannot be used to nurture wholesome states. From this time forward, I do not permit requesting fine foods for the purpose of eating.

Furthermore, when the Buddha was residing at a monastery in the grove of the Nigrodha tree, in the city of Kapilavastu among the Śākya clan. For the sake of five benefits, the Buddha inspected the bhikkhus' rooms once every five days; seeing a bhikkhu who was ill, though He already knew, the Buddha still asked:

—How is your illness? Are you in much pain?

—I am not in much pain, Blessed One.

—Are you unable to request foods suitable for your illness and medicines suitable for your illness?

—I am able to request them, but the Blessed One has established a rule not permitting the requesting of fine foods, so I do not dare ask. Moreover, I have no donor and no one to give to me.

—From this time forward, I permit a bhikkhu who is ill to request fine foods.

Thereupon the Buddha commanded all the bhikkhus residing in Kapilavastu to assemble, and for the sake of ten benefits He established this rule for the bhikkhus — even those who have already heard it must hear it again:

—If at the homes of donors there are various kinds of fine foods such as ghee, oil, honey, rock sugar, fresh milk, buttermilk, fish, meat, and the like, and a bhikkhu who is not ill requests them out of a desire for the comfort of his own body, he commits a pācittiya offence.

Explanation

House: as stated above.

Ghee, oil, honey, rock sugar, fresh milk, buttermilk, meat, fish: as spoken of previously in the second rule concerning theft. These are called fine foods. If one is ill, the Blessed One permits requesting and eating them; there is no offence.

Illness: There are various kinds, such as: abdominal disease, cancer, hemorrhoids, incontinence of urine and feces, jaundice, malaria, tuberculosis, emaciation, wind-edema, dropsy, and such diseases as these are called illness.

For one's own body: requesting for the sake of one's own body — whether one requests it oneself or has another request it in order to eat — one commits a pācittiya offence.

Pācittiya: as stated above.

If a bhikkhu suffers from a fever illness and a physician says: "For this illness, one should drink sour milk," then one may request sour milk. But one must not go to a house that has no faith to request it. Why is this? Because when requesting, they will slander the bhikkhu, saying he requests sour milk out of craving for fine food. Since they would criticize the bhikkhu's conduct, one must not go to request it there, but should go to the home of an upāsaka who has faith to make the request. When one has obtained it, one should reflect carefully before using it.

If a bhikkhu suffers from a wind disease and a physician says: "One should drink oil," then one is permitted at that time to request oil. But one must not go to an oil-press house to request it, nor go to a house that has no faith, as in the case of requesting sour milk described above.

If a bhikkhu suffers from dropsy and a physician says: "For this illness, one should drink honey," then one may at that time request honey. But one must not go to the home of a honey-gatherer to request it, nor go to a house that has no faith, as in the case of requesting sour milk described above.

If a bhikkhu suffers from emaciation and a physician says: "For this illness, one should drink rock sugar," then one may request rock sugar. But one must not go to a house that works with sugarcane to request it, nor go to a house that has no faith, as in the case of requesting sour milk described above.

If a bhikkhu is afflicted with cold and a physician says: "One should mix rock sugar and sour milk together and drink them," then one must not go to a house that has no faith to request them, as in the case of requesting sour milk described above.

If a bhikkhu suffers from diarrhea and a physician says: "For this illness, one should drink fresh milk," then one may go to the home of a cowherd to request fresh milk. When one has obtained it, one should deliberate before taking it.

If a bhikkhu wishes to induce vomiting and takes an emetic, and the physician says: "First one should drink fish broth," then one may at that time request fish broth. But one must not go to the home of a fisherman to request it, nor go to the home of someone who has no faith, as stated above.

If a bhikkhu wishes to let blood from the head or to take a purgative, and the physician says: "For this illness, one should drink meat broth," then one is at that time permitted to request meat broth. But one must not go to a butcher's home or to a home that has no faith to request it, as stated above.

If a bhikkhu going on alms-round arrives at the home of someone who measures out sour milk, and that person asks: "Venerable, what are you looking for?" He replies: "I wish to request food." The person says: "I have no food here, only sour milk — if you have need of it I will give it to you." In that case, if the bhikkhu has need, he may receive a full bowl; there is no offence. Or if he has a companion, he may encourage the person to give to his companion as well; there is no offence. The same applies in the case of one who measures out oil, honey, rock sugar, fresh milk, or buttermilk.

If a bhikkhu on alms-round has received noodles or rice filling a medium-sized bowl with no room remaining, he may request a drink. If the donor says: "I have no drinking water, but I have meat broth — if you have need of it I will give it to you," then the bhikkhu is permitted to take it. Or if they say: "I also have meat — if you have need of it I will give it to you," then the bhikkhu may take a full vessel; there is no offence.

At the same time, a bhikkhu may also go to the home of someone who presses sugarcane to request sugarcane juice. If the householder says: "I have no sugarcane juice, but I have rock sugar — if you have need of it I will give it to you," then if the bhikkhu sees a need he may take a full bowl; there is no offence. He may also encourage them to give to his companions.

Similarly, one may go to a sesame oil-press to request sesame oil dregs. If the owner says: "I have no sesame oil dregs, but if you need oil I will give it to you," then if the bhikkhu sees a need he may take a full bowl; there is no offence. He may also encourage them to give to his companions.

A bhikkhu may request the clear water settled beneath curdled milk. If they say: "I have no clear water from beneath the curdled milk, but I have curdled milk — if you have need of it I will give it to you," then if the bhikkhu sees a need he may take a full bowl; there is no offence. He may also encourage them to give to his companions.

A bhikkhu may request sugarcane. He may also request fine foods on behalf of a visiting bhikkhu who has traveled a long distance. Or when one is oneself traveling on the road, one may also request such foods.

If a bhikkhu requests eight kinds of fine foods from a single place and then eats each kind separately, he commits many pācittiya offences.

If a bhikkhu requests eight kinds of fine foods from various different places and then eats them together in one sitting, he commits one pācittiya offence. If he requests them from many places and then eats each kind separately, he commits many pācittiya offences. If he requests from a single place and obtains many kinds of food and then eats them all together at once, he commits one pācittiya offence.

If one requests while not ill and then eats them when one has become ill, one commits a Vinaya transgression offence.

If one requests while ill and then eats them when one is no longer ill, there is no offence.

If one requests while ill and eats them while still ill, there is no offence.

If one requests while not ill and eats them while not ill, one commits a pācittiya offence.

If one cooks not in accordance with illness but eats in accordance with illness, there is no offence (?).

If one cooks in accordance with illness but eats not in accordance with illness, one commits a Vinaya transgression offence.

If one cooks in accordance with illness and also eats in accordance with illness, there is no offence.

If one cooks not in accordance with illness and eats not in accordance with illness, there is no offence. Why is this? Because one who has gone forth lives in dependence upon others. Therefore it is said:

Eating at wrong times, leftover food.

Two or three bowls of fine food,

Eating them separately, eating afterward—

The fourth Pācittiya ends here."

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

Meaning verified by: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH