Xct Mu Bi Pc 23Encouraging Another Monastic to Eat More After Refusing an Invitation
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyapavāraṇā
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Discourse on Encouraging a Bhikkhu to Eat More After Refusing an Invitation
Background
Dutiyapavāraṇā appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Pācittiya section, which records training rules for bhikkhus. This discourse belongs to the disciplinary system of the early Buddhist Sangha, intended to guide bhikkhus in the proper attitude when handling matters related to food and courteous behavior within the community of practice.
The historical context of this rule concerns situations arising in the daily practice of the Dharma. When bhikkhus refuse invitations to eat from the people or from other bhikkhus, misunderstandings or disharmony can arise. Therefore, the Buddha established guidance to regulate how such situations should be handled, ensuring harmony within the Sangha body.
Main Content
The Dutiyapavāraṇā rule, the second rule concerning invitation or opening, focuses on the case where a bhikkhu has refused another’s invitation to eat, but afterward another bhikkhu encourages that bhikkhu to eat more or change his decision.
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, this act of encouragement has specific conditions. If a bhikkhu has clearly refused an invitation (pavāraṇā, an open declaration), other bhikkhus should not use coaxing words to persuade him to change his mind, especially when the motive is not pure or when the action may lead to undesirable consequences.
However, the discourse also acknowledges that there are reasonable circumstances in which encouragement is appropriate, for example, when the one who refuses does so out of self-reproach or excessive severity toward himself, rather than for a legitimate reason of practice. In that case, encouragement must be offered with compassion, in order to help that bhikkhu avoid harming himself or creating hardship within the community.
Practical Meaning
This discourse teaches us a profound lesson about the balance between respecting individual will and offering compassionate communal care.
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