San Lo Bu Pm Pd 1Letting a Nun Order Food
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyapāṭidesanīya
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Dutiyapāṭidesanīya
Allowing a Nun to Designate Food
Background
Dutiyapāṭidesanīya is a rule in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, belonging to the Pāṭidesanīya section, matters that must be reported or openly confessed. In the Pāli Canon, the Pāṭidesanīya are actions that are not full breaches of the precepts, yet still should not be done; when they have been done, monastics must openly confess them before the witnessing Sangha.
This discourse appears in the context of the early monastic community, when Buddhism had newly been established and needed regulations to maintain discipline and harmonize communal life. The Vinaya rules are not merely rigid prohibitions, but guidelines that nurture the mind and protect the image of the Sangha Jewel.
Main Content
The matter addressed by the Dutiyapāṭidesanīya concerns a nun designating or asking others to buy particular foods for herself. Specifically, a nun should not ask a girl, a lay follower, or anyone outside financial propriety to go and buy the kinds of food that the monastic wants, whether they are things to be offered or to be eaten.
Although this act is not a serious violation of the Patimokkha, it is considered improper for reasons connected with self-restraint, financial independence, and avoiding the impression that monastics are managing property or have personal desires. When a nun openly requests particular kinds of food, this may cause others to question her intentions or cause trust in the Sangha Jewel to be lost.
This regulation reflects an important principle in the Vinaya: monastics should live simply, should not specify in detail what they wish to receive, and should accept only what is voluntarily offered by the Buddhist community.
Practical Meaning
The Dutiyapāṭidesanīya teaches us a profound lesson about humility and the peaceful mind content with poverty.
🌏 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.