San Mg Bu Pm Pc 35Eating Unoffered Food
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dantapona
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The Discourse on Eating Food Not Yet Offered
Background
This text is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically in the Pātimokkha section, the basic precepts for bhikkhus. The background for the arising of this text comes from events in the Sangha community during the Buddha’s time, when disciples had not yet been clearly instructed about the regulations concerning what kinds of food were permissible to eat.
In the foundation of a bhikkhu’s practice, eating and drinking are not for pleasure or the satisfaction of desire, but only as a means to maintain health for the practice of the Dharma. Therefore, the Buddha established regulations concerning the manner and kinds of food that bhikkhus were permitted to eat, in order to preserve purity and avoid suspicion from the lay community.
Main Content
The term “Dantapona” (eating food not yet offered), in the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, refers to foods that bhikkhus receive but that have not been clearly offered by the householder, or foods taken without the donor’s intention of offering them. This regulation is meant to protect the honor of the community and the faith of laypeople.
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, a bhikkhu must not eat food that has not been properly offered. This means that food must be voluntarily offered to the Sangha by a layperson, with a joyful mind. If food is taken without clarity regarding the intention to offer, or if it is stolen, then the bhikkhu violates the precept.
In addition, the text also emphasizes the difference between foods suitable for laypeople to eat, such as meat, coffee, and chiefly cooked dishes, and foods suitable for bhikkhus. Bhikkhus should eat with moderation and should not choose delicious or rare foods, because this gives rise to a mind of attachment.
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