San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Pc 35Encouraging Another Monastic to Eat More After Refusing an Invitation
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyapavāraṇā
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Explanation of the Dutiyapavāraṇā Sutta
Encouraging Another Practitioner to Eat More After Refusing an Invitation
Context
Dutiyapavāraṇā is a prohibition (Pācittiya) in the Theravāda Vinaya tradition, found in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga—the section of discipline prescribed for women renunciants. This sutta was stated when the Buddha recognized that the community of bhikkhunīs needed clear guidance regarding rules for eating and self-restraint in virtue.
The context arose when some women renunciants did not observe the practice concerning food. In the Theravāda tradition, eating is not merely a material matter but is deeply related to mindfulness (sati) and restraint of the faculties (indriya-saṃvara). This prohibition reflects the balance between self-control and cooperation in the community of practice.
Main Content
The Dutiyapavāraṇā Sutta addresses the following situation: When a bhikkhunī refuses an invitation to eat from a householder or from other members of the community, another bhikkhunī tries to persuade her companion to eat more. This act of encouragement, especially if done with the intention of influencing the other’s self-control or observance of the discipline, is considered a Pācittiya offense.
Pācittiya offenses are prohibitions requiring confession before a witness. They are lighter than pārājika, the grave prohibitions leading to expulsion, but they still require monastics to practice carefully. This prohibition does not completely forbid encouraging a friend to eat, but emphasizes that intention and context are important. If the motivation is to help another maintain sufficient health for practice, that is different. However, if the purpose is to entice another into violating a regulation or weakening self-restraint, that is a violation.
The deeper reason for this rule lies in the recognition that self-control (dama) in eating is the seed of self-control in all aspects of practice. When a monastic cannot regulate what they eat, this tends to create a weak foundation for the entire path of practice.
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