Lzh Mu Bu Pm Pc 81Visiting Families Before a Meal

Explanation of the Cāritta Sutta - On Visiting Families Before a Meal

Background

The Cāritta Sutta, a section in the Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka, is recorded among the rules concerning eating and daily conduct of bhikkhus. This content reflects the context of the Buddhist monastic community during the Buddha’s lifetime, when he and his disciples lived in relation with the community and maintained clear regulations on restraint and discipline in order to protect the purity of the Sangha.

The term “Cāritta” (चारित्त, Pāli: cāritta) means “action, conduct, custom.” In the Vinaya context, these are specific instructions on ethical action in daily situations. This discourse specifically deals with the question of whether bhikkhus should visit families before going to eat, an issue that seems small but contains deep significance regarding self-restraint and avoidance of attachment.

Main Content

This discourse states that bhikkhus should not make a habit of visiting families before going to receive alms food. The purpose of this rule lies in preventing many negative consequences a bhikkhu might encounter.

First, when visiting a family before the meal, the bhikkhu can easily become attached to polite words, the host’s attentiveness, or pleasant aspects of their life. This can shake the mind of practice and take away the concentration needed for contemplating the true purpose of eating, namely, to use food as medicine to sustain life and continue practicing the Buddha-Dharma (ceva mattam khādanīya anuyogaṁ samādiyati).

Second, making a habit of visiting can lead to discrimination: the bhikkhu will frequently eat at favored families and avoid others, thereby violating the principle of equality and non-expectation encouraged by Buddhism.