Upp Pc 39Eating at the Wrong Time
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vikālabhojana
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EXPLANATION OF THE VIKĀLABHOJANA SUTTA (EATING OUTSIDE THE PROPER TIME)
Background
Vikālabhojana, eating outside the proper time, is one of the rules recorded in the Pātimokkha, the basic code for monks and nuns in the Theravāda tradition. This text appears in the Uppannasikkhāpadā, the training rules further developed, an expansion of the rules of practice after the Buddha first promulgated the many training rules.
In the history of the Sangha, as the monastic community developed, the Buddha continually revised and supplemented rules to suit new circumstances. Vikālabhojana was prescribed in order to maintain discipline, calm the mind, and preserve the admiration of the lay community. This is a Pācittiya offense, a violation requiring confession, not the gravest fault, but one that must be corrected seriously.
Main Content
According to the Vikālabhojana rule, monks and bhikkhunīs may not consume nourishing food at improper times. Specifically, the permitted time for eating is usually defined as from sunrise until around midday, or in some traditions until the evening before dusk.
Whenever a monastic consumes food containing energy, such as rice, meat, vegetables, fruit, fish, eggs, or any common nutritive substance, outside the prescribed time, this violation is considered a Pācittiya offense. However, the Vinaya notes that certain drinks, such as lemon water, coconut water, or some other liquids that do not contain much nourishment, may be permitted in the evening.
The purpose of this rule is not to cause suffering or self-mortification, but to train restraint of the senses (indriyasamvara), reduce craving related to food, and maintain a pure and mindful state of mind. Eating at the wrong time is often related to negligence, stimulates desires for pleasure, and may cause the mind to drift away from the aim of the holy path.
Practical Meaning
Vikālabhojana is not only a formal rule, but an expression of orderliness in daily life.
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