Lzh Mu Bu Vb Pc 81Visiting Families Before a Meal
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cāritta
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Explanation of the Cāritta Sutta: Visiting Families Before a Meal
Background
The Cāritta Sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha of the bhikkhus. These are monastic rules of Theravāda Buddhism, established by the Buddha Śākyamuni to maintain discipline in the monastic community. This section records concrete situations that arose during the teaching and practice of bhikkhus while the Buddha was still alive.
Cāritta means “manner of conduct” or “action,” referring to rules of behavior in daily activities. This sutta concerns the act of visiting families before a meal, a common situation when bhikkhus go on alms round or live within the community. It is connected with Pācittiya, one of the classes of lesser offenses that bhikkhus must avoid.
Main Content
According to the Theravāda tradition, the Buddha did not permit bhikkhus to visit families or friends before going on alms round and eating. This rule arose from a specific incident: bhikkhus were sometimes caught up in conversations, judgments, or negotiations with families who provided food, causing them to forget the proper time for alms round or even to receive unsuitable material benefits.
This rule aims to protect the purity of the alms round (piṇḍapāta). When going for alms, a bhikkhu should focus on the act of receiving food with a mind free from preference, not discriminating among donors, whether rich or poor, familiar or unfamiliar. Visiting before a meal may lead to social interactions that cause distraction, or even create unhealthy expectations between bhikkhus and lay people.
The Pācittiya penalty (āpatti) is applied if a bhikkhu violates this rule. This is a type of offense that must be openly confessed before the Sangha community, but it does not lead to severe penalties such as expulsion.
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