Lzh Mu Bi Vb Pc 20Eating at a Public Guest-house
Pāli / Sanskrit:Āvasathapiṇḍa
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
DISCOURSE ON EATING AT A PUBLIC GUEST-HOUSE
Āvasathapiṇḍa — Vinaya Piṭaka
Background
In the Theravāda Buddhadharma tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is the sacred collection that prescribes the conduct of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. This discourse belongs to the Pācittiya section, violations requiring confession (pāpañcasūcikā). It addresses a practical situation arising in the communal life of the Sangha: bhikkhus eating together at public guest-houses (āvasatha).
The historical background shows that in the Buddha’s time, large cities such as Sāvatthī and Rājagaha had buildings set aside to receive travelers. These places had kitchens, lodging, and facilities to serve passersby. When the Sangha gathered at such places, issues arose concerning fairness in dividing food and eating together.
Main Content
The rule on eating at a public guest-house (āvasathapiṇḍa) aims to maintain discipline and unity in the Sangha. According to the Vinaya, when a bhikkhu is invited to eat at such places, he may not always freely choose or act according to personal preference.
The basic principle is: a bhikkhu must follow the convention of the Sangha when eating communally. If there is a common arrangement concerning time, place, or method of portioning, bhikkhus must observe it in order to avoid causing disorder. In particular, one must not arbitrarily separate from the group without a valid reason, because this may cause misunderstanding about improper conduct or disparagement.
In addition, this rule also concerns maintaining the reputation of the Sangha. When eating together in public places, the conduct of bhikkhus is easily observed by laypeople. Therefore, gathering properly and acting with discipline while eating become important factors in preserving the image and faith of the community.
🌏 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.