San Lo Bi Vb Pc 28Accepting Two or Three Bowls Full
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dvittipattapūrapaṭiggahaṇa
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The Rule on Accepting Two or Three Bowls Full of Water
Background
This rule is a Pācittiya offense in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhadhamma, belonging to the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the section of rules for female monastics. In the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is regarded as the backbone of the community of monks and nuns, maintaining the discipline and purity of the Sangha through thousands of years. Pācittiya offenses are lighter than pārājika or saṅghādisesa offenses, but still require acknowledgment before the Sangha in order to be corrected.
The background for this rule is connected with the daily practice of eating among bhikkhunīs at Sāvatthī in the Buddha’s time. The issue is not merely the amount of food, but the manner of receiving and the way of conducting oneself with regard to the minimal requisites needed for survival. This is a balance between maintaining health for practice and the monastic principle of non-greed and non-excess.
Main Content
The rule on “Accepting two or three bowls full” states that a bhikkhunī should not accept more than two or three bowls of food from the same person or household in a single offering. If she exceeds this and still accepts more, that is an action inconsistent with the spirit of monastic practice.
This regulation reflects an important principle in the Vinaya Piṭaka: avoiding placing an excessive burden on those who provide food (dāyaka). A nun going on almsround should accept only enough to live, not in order to store up or satisfy excess. This also concerns not causing difficulty for householders, while maintaining the image of monks and nuns as humble practitioners free from greed.
The “two or three bowls” here carries a deeper meaning: it is not a rigid numerical limit, but restraint and respect. To go beyond it is regarded as a possible sign of arrogance or latent greed for excess, something of which Theravāda Buddhism gives strong warning.
Practical Meaning
Although this ancient Vinaya rule was compiled two thousand years ago, its spirit remains profound for modern practitioners.
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