Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pc 38Eating at the Wrong Time
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vikālabhojana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
The Sutta on Eating at the Wrong Time
(Vikālabhojana Pātimokkha)
Background
The rule concerning eating at the wrong time (vikālabhojana) is one of the basic prohibitions in the Vinaya Pitaka of Theravāda Buddhism. This rule is found in the Pātimokkha, the basic code that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must observe daily. Vikālabhojana is listed among the Pācittiya offenses, acts that are not grave offenses but still need to be dealt with according to the regulations of the Sangha.
The reason for establishing this rule comes from the need to regulate the daily practice of monastics. In the Buddha's time, bhikkhus focused on meditation and the study of the Dharma, so defining a suitable time for eating was important for maintaining communal discipline and creating favorable conditions for practice.
Main Content
The basic principle of Vikālabhojana is this: bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must not eat staple food (odana, rice) or heavy foods after noon until the next morning. The permitted time for eating is from daybreak until the sun has just passed its zenith, that is, before noon of that day. After this time, only water or other liquids are permitted; solid food may not be received.
This rule has exceptions allowed by the Buddha. When a bhikkhu is ill, has permission from a teacher or from the Sangha, or in an emergency such as being trapped or lacking food, there may be flexibility. However, if one violates the rule without a valid reason, the bhikkhu must confess the offense (pācittiya) before the Sangha and carry out the corresponding confession rite.
Observing this rule is not merely a matter of formal discipline, but reflects a deeper principle: restraining basic desires and training the mind in habits of moderation (mattaññutā).
Practical Meaning
Vikālabhojana has profound symbolic meaning on the path of practice.
🌏 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.