Lzh Mi Bu Vb Sk 71Not Get Food by Stretching Arm
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not get food by stretching arm
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Sutta on Not Receiving Food by Stretching Out the Arm
Context
This text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Early Buddhist tradition, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, or the Vibhaṅga for bhikkhunīs. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of texts that establishes discipline, conduct, and restrictions that Buddhist monastics must observe in order to protect spiritual life and maintain the noble way of conduct.
This text reflects a specific situation that arose in the community of female renunciants (Saṅgha), when the Buddha needed to correct the conduct of bhikkhunīs in receiving food (bhojana). The context of the Vinaya Piṭaka is always connected with real events, in which the Buddha discovered inappropriate conduct and from that set forth regulations to prevent it.
The rule not to receive food by stretching out the arm is a subtle regulation, reflecting care in maintaining simplicity, humility, and right concentration in the daily life of female renunciants.
Main Content
The prohibition against receiving food by stretching out the arm (Na uddhaṃ bhattaṃ paṭigaṇhanti) arises from an important principle of the Vinaya Piṭaka: bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must not actively ask or beg for food excessively, nor display greed or craving. When the arm is stretched out to receive food, this action may be understood as a form of expressing desire, or even as a way of emphasizing entitlement, conduct contrary to the Ariya path, the noble way.
Instead, female renunciants are required to maintain a respectful and calm posture. They should allow food to be placed in their bowl without needing to stretch out the hand. This act expresses compliance and shows no expectation or craving. It is a way to protect the mind from the seeds of greed (lobha), showing a degree of restraint and maturity in practice.
This rule is also related to respect for the person who offers food (dāna dāyaka).
🌏 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.