Xct Mu Bi Pm Sk 60Not prefer one grain

The Sutta on Not Preferring One Kind of Grain

(Xct Mu Bi Pm Sk 60)

Background

This text is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Mahāvibhaṅga, the detailed Vinaya, within the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not only a set of rules to be observed, but practical guidance for daily life that helps monastics dwell peacefully and develop spiritually.

The context of the text concerns the practice of eating and drinking among bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. The Buddha taught principles of moderation, non-greed, and non-discrimination in accepting offered food. This reflects a profound principle: monastics should transcend personal biases so that the mind is not governed by material desires.

Main Content

This text teaches that bhikkhus should not have excessive preference for a particular kind of grain. When laypeople offer different kinds of food, practitioners should receive them with an even mind, not showing delight or disgust toward any kind.

The deeper reason for this principle lies in the Five Supports (pañca aṅga): moderation, non-greed, mastery over the sense faculties, and spiritual development. If a monastic has a strong preference for a certain kind of food, this will lead to problems: becoming troublesome to those who offer food, creating complications within the community of practice, and, most importantly, obscuring the true nature of the path.

The text emphasizes that practitioners should have an unattached attitude (anissita), not dependent and not preferential, toward the grains offered. This simple and even acceptance is a sign of correct practice of the Dhamma.

Practical Meaning

The meaning of this text goes beyond daily eating. It teaches us about relinquishment (vossagga), an essential aspect of practice. Preferring one material thing over another is a subtle expression of greed (lobha) and attachment (upādāna).