San Lo Bi Vb Pc 22Eating Successive Meals
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paramparabhojana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
THE RULE ON EATING SUCCESSIVE MEALS
Paramparabhojana Sutta
Background
The rule on eating successive meals (paramparabhojana) appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically in the Pācittiya collection, rules requiring confession if violated. This is one of the Pātimokkha rules governing the daily life of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, intended to protect the spirit of practice and maintain communal discipline.
In the context of early Buddhism, eating was not merely a biological need but also a matter of ethical cultivation. Renunciants are trained to avoid desires connected with food, thereby nourishing a settled mind free from craving. This rule reflects the balance between maintaining the body in order to continue practice and avoiding indulgence in greed for food.
Main Content
The Paramparabhojana rule forbids monastics from eating successive meals on the same day, or more specifically, from eating a main meal after having already eaten a main meal within the same daily period, from sunrise to sunset. Such an act is regarded as gluttonous conduct, an expression of craving inappropriate for one gone forth.
According to the Pāli Vinaya, if a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī intentionally eats a main meal several times in one day, especially when the food has been prepared specifically for this act, they commit a Pācittiya offense, requiring confession before other bhikkhus in the community. The purpose is not punishment but helping the monastic recognize the violation and restore mindfulness.
An important point is that this rule allows light foods or drinks, such as fruit juice or milk, in addition to the main meal, but does not allow a second main meal. This reflects the Vinaya distinction between different types of food, recognized main food (bhojana) and other supportive items (paribhojana).
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.