San Mu Bu Pm GBM 3 Pd 4Receiving Food in a Dangerous Region
Pāli / Sanskrit:Catutthapāṭidesanīya
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of Catutthapāṭidesanīya — The Discourse on Receiving Food in a Dangerous Region
Background
Catutthapāṭidesanīya, the Fourth Declaration, is an important part of the Pāṭidesanīya, the body of Vinaya rules establishing disciplinary regulations for bhikkhus. This discourse arose from a specific situation in the life of the Sangha during the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. It concerned certain bhikkhus who made mistakes in receiving food in local regions that had risks or unfavorable conditions.
In the context of Theravāda Buddha-Dharma, the Vinaya Piṭaka is regarded as the moral foundation of the Sangha. The Pāṭidesanīya rules are among the lightest in the system of discipline, requiring a bhikkhu to declare (pāṭidesanīya) or confess his violation before the monks. These violations do not bring about the ruin of the Sangha, but they still need to be dealt with through public acknowledgement in order to maintain the purity of the Dharma.
Main Content
Catutthapāṭidesanīya concerns the act of receiving food from establishments in regions considered dangerous or having especially complex conditions. The rule stipulates that when a bhikkhu receives food (bhojana) from such places without following the appropriate guidelines, or receives food from unworthy persons, or under circumstances not in accordance with the discipline, this is considered a minor violation that must be declared.
Specifically, this discourse refers to situations such as receiving food from taverns, places in decline, or from people of poor moral conduct without the approval of the Sangha. Food (bhojana) here is not only nourishment but also includes other provisions. The “danger” is not physical danger but moral danger: a bhikkhu may come to feel dependent on impure sources of supply, thereby affecting spiritual independence and respect for the Dharma.
🌏 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.