Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 29Giving Food to Ascetics
Pāli / Sanskrit:Acelaka
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ACELAKA SUTRA (Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga Pācittiya 29)
Interpretation According to the Theravāda Pāli Canon Tradition
Background
The Acelaka rule belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the explanation of the rules for nuns, within the Pācittiya section, the offenses that may be confessed. This is a regulation concerning the act of providing food to ascetics outside the Sangha or to those following other practices.
The background for the arising of this rule reflects a situation in the early Buddhist community, when nuns needed to distinguish clearly between actions that were permitted and actions that were forbidden. Providing food is an act of broad compassion, but the Buddha established rules to protect the purity of the Sangha and to avoid misunderstandings from outsiders.
The term “Acelaka” refers to ascetics outside the Sangha or practitioners who do not follow the Buddha-Dharma. This regulation is intended to preserve the boundary between the Buddhist Sangha and other groups of practitioners, while also educating nuns about the true purpose of giving.
Main Content
According to Pācittiya 29 for nuns, if a nun knowingly and voluntarily provides staple food, such as rice, bread, or other filling foods, to an ascetic outside the Sangha, the act is considered a pācittiya offense, a minor fault requiring public confession before the community.
It is important to note that this rule does not entirely forbid generosity, but focuses on the type of food and the intention. Secondary foods, such as fruits, vegetables, or drinking water, may be given without offense. Moreover, if the act is not intentional or is not clearly the provision of food to an outsider, the rule does not apply.
This rule reflects a basic principle in the Vinaya Piṭaka: nuns should give priority to supporting the Buddhist Sangha first. This is not due to discrimination or greed, but to concentrate the vitality of practitioners upon the common purpose: moving toward nirvana and spreading the Buddha-Dharma.
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