Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Sk 7Na kulmāsapiṇḍakaṁ
Pāli / Sanskrit:Na kulmāsapiṇḍakaṁ
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EXPLANATION OF THE NA KULMĀSAPIṆḌAKAṀ SUTTA
(The Sutta on Not Providing Food for the Months of the Year)
Background
The Na kulmāsapiṇḍakaṁ Sutta appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, in the Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga, the detailed ethical regulations for bhikkhus. In its historical context, as the Buddha-Dharma developed, monastic communities needed clear rules to regulate collective life, especially in the sphere of sustaining the body, the material foundation by which practice could continue.
This sutta addresses a practical question: whether householders (upāsakas/upāsikās) are required to provide food for monks and nuns during certain periods of the year, and what conditions make this a legal matter within the monastic community.
Main Content
Na kulmāsapiṇḍakaṁ, literally “not the provision of food for the months of the year,” refers to cases in which monks and nuns are not required to receive regular food from the lay community, or conversely, householders do not have the duty to provide continuously.
The sutta states that if a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī does not have a stable relationship with a supporting household, or if living conditions have changed, such as when the monastic has migrated or the householder is facing economic hardship, then the provision of food is not considered a strict obligation under the Vinaya. This is practical kindness, not imposing an unreasonable burden on householders.
The sutta also clarifies that support from householders is voluntary (dāna, giving), not a liability or debt. Bhikkhus still maintain the right of bodily self-reliance, being able to seek food through almsround (piṇḍapāta) if necessary.
Practical Meaning
This principle reflects the practical and compassionate spirit of the Buddha-Dharma. It does not accept one-sided compulsion, but instead respects the freedom and actual conditions of both giver and receiver.
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