Lzh Mi Bu Vb Pd 1Receiving a Nun’s Food
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paṭhamapāṭidesanīya
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The Sutta on Receiving a Bhikkhunī's Food
Paṭhamapāṭidesanīya — The First Confession Rule
Background
The Sutta on Receiving a Bhikkhunī's Food is recorded in the Vinayapiṭaka, specifically in the section on Pāṭidesanīya — rules requiring the declaration and acknowledgment of offenses. This structure reflects the regulations of the Buddhist community established after the Buddha had spread the Dharma, when the community of monks and nuns had grown and specific guidelines for daily living were needed.
The appearance of this sutta is connected to the history of the founding of the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha. When the Buddha permitted women to go forth as bhikkhunīs, rules governing daily conduct, eating, and the receiving of offerings were also established in order to protect spiritual virtue and maintain discipline. This sutta sets forth specific circumstances in which a bhikkhunī must declare an offense if she transgresses, especially in the area of receiving and making use of food.
Main Content
The Paṭhamapāṭidesanīya regulates cases in which a bhikkhunī receives food or other requisites that she ought not to have received. The content centers on the principle that a bhikkhunī should receive only those items offered in a proper manner, through the governing bodies of the community, or directly from lay supporters who make offerings with sincere devotion.
Specifically, if a bhikkhunī on her own initiative receives food without authorization from the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha or from those designated for this purpose, or if she receives it in ways inconsistent with the Vinaya, she must declare her offense before the entire Bhikkhunī Saṅgha. This declaration (paṭidesanā) is not a severe punishment, but rather an opportunity for the practitioner to correct a mistaken action and reaffirm her commitment to observing the precepts.
The sutta emphasizes that the issue does not lie in the act of receiving food itself, but in the intention and the manner in which it is received.
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