Lzh Mi Bu Vb Pd 2Letting a Nun Order Food
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyapāṭidesanīya
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
The Dutiyapāṭidesanīya Discourse: The Matter of Monks and Nuns Ordering Food
Background
Dutiyapāṭidesanīya is a disciplinary rule in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the section of discipline for nuns, belonging to the traditional Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka. The title “Letting a Nun Order Food” indicates a regulation concerning the way nuns participate in preparing or arranging food within the Sangha community.
The Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled after the Buddha’s parinirvana, based on specific events that occurred within the monastic community. Each rule in the Vinaya Piṭaka has an originating condition (paccaya), reflecting real situations that the Buddha or the Sangha had to address. Dutiyapāṭidesanīya is one of the rules in the “Pāṭidesanīya” category, those requiring public acknowledgment, one of the lightest kinds of offense in the Buddhist disciplinary system.
Main Content
This rule concerns whether a nun is permitted to instruct, order, or arrange for others to prepare food. According to the general principle of the Vinaya Piṭaka, a bhikkhunī must observe certain restrictions while living the religious life, especially in activities related to consuming or arranging material things.
Dutiyapāṭidesanīya states that if a nun orders or tells others to bring food in cases that are not permitted, she must publicly acknowledge that act before the Sangha. This is not a grave offense (saṅghādisesa) or an offense entailing loss of status (pārājika), but a minor fault that requires a public expression of recognition, showing that the person acknowledges the fault and undertakes not to repeat it.
The historical context of this rule often comes from a specific case in which a nun misused authority or acted carelessly, causing inconvenience for the community or violating the principles of the religious life. Through establishing this rule, the Buddha wished to teach nuns that respect for small rules is the way to build firm spiritual discipline.
🌏 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.