Lzh Sarv Bu Vb Pc 81Visiting Families Before a Meal
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cāritta
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The Cāritta Sutta: Rules for Visiting Families Before a Meal
Background
The Cāritta Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, recorded within the code of monastic conduct for the Saṅgha. The Vinaya is not merely a collection of prohibitions or administrative provisions, but an expression of the bodhicitta—the spirit of awakening manifest in every daily action of the bhikkhus.
The context from which this rule arose is inseparably linked to the mendicant way of life of monastics. In the time of the Buddha, bhikkhus lived by going on alms rounds from household to household, so as to generate merit for lay devotees while themselves cultivating the material foundation for a life of practice. This was not a merely structural arrangement, but a relationship of mutual support between the Saṅgha and the lay community (Upāsaka, Upāsikā).
The rule concerning "visiting families before a meal" arose to govern situations that could potentially erode the mindfulness (sati) and concentration (samādhi) of the monastic, while at the same time protecting the moral integrity of the Saṅgha from social suspicion.
Main Content
The Cāritta Sutta prescribes that bhikkhus should not visit individual households alone before a meal. This rule originated from specific circumstances: when a bhikkhu visits a household privately before mealtime, there is considerable likelihood that greed (lobha), aversion (dosa), and delusion (moha) may arise.
First, visiting a household of women alone before a meal could arouse sensual desire or engender suspicion within the community. Second, such visits could readily give rise to partiality—the monastic might come under psychological or emotional pressure, undermining impartiality in the practice of alms-seeking. Third, it creates conditions for duplicitous conduct or careless speech that could bring harm to the reputation of the Saṅgha.
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