Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pc 43Sabhojanakulasthānaṁ

Explanation of Sabhojanakulasthānaṁ (Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pc 43)

Background

Sabhojanakulasthānaṁ is a section belonging to the Patimokkha, the first code of discipline, in the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravāda tradition. This section concerns regulations on monastics’ association with lay people and the economic activity of the monastic community. The text was composed to maintain financial discipline, protect virtue, and ensure the purity of the Sangha, the monastic community.

In the first century after the Buddha’s nirvana, the monastic community gradually grew, with an increasing number of celibate renunciants. Along with this, issues concerning property, food, and relationships with lay people also arose. For this reason, the Vinaya Pitaka pays special attention to actions connected with eating, storing food, and designating eating places for monastics.

Main Content

Sabhojanakulasthānaṁ focuses on regulating the places and manner of eating for monastics. Accordingly, bhikkhunis are not permitted to eat in secret places, remote places, or families of bad reputation. Specifically, bhikkhunis must eat in public places, witnessed by many people, and must comply with regulations concerning meal times and permitted eating places.

The text also clearly stipulates that bhikkhunis must not store food for too long, must not actively request special or expensive foods, and must avoid situations that could arouse suspicion or inconvenience for those who provide food. These rules are not arbitrary restrictions, but protective measures safeguarding the virtue of bhikkhunis against social suspicion and gossip.

In addition, Sabhojanakulasthānaṁ also emphasizes that bhikkhunis must preserve purity in financial and food matters, and must not embezzle or misuse food portions intended for the community. These regulations clearly reflect the Theravāda Buddhist ideal of purity, self-restraint, and personal responsibility within the monastic community.