Xct Mu Bu Vb Pc 38Storing Food
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sannidhikāraka
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The Sutta on Storing Food (Sannidhikāraka)
Context
The Sutta on Storing Food (Sannidhikāraka) is a rule in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, belonging to the category of minor offenses (Pācittiya) for bhikkhunīs (nuns). The background of this rule is connected with practical situations in the early monastic community, when Buddhism developed and needed specific guidance to maintain purity, discipline, and mental focus.
According to the Pāli tradition, this rule reflects the lifestyle of bhikkhunīs in the community of practice. Storing food and provisions is directly related to issues such as greed (lobha), concentration in practice, and the reasonable management of property. Theravāda Buddhism emphasizes that one gone forth should avoid excessive accumulation and possess only what is necessary to sustain the monastic life.
Main Content
The Sutta on Storing Food states that a bhikkhunī should not store provisions for a long time for the purpose of accumulation or reserve for the distant future. Specifically, if a nun keeps provisions or food for many days without using or sharing them in the community, this is considered a Pācittiya offense, a minor fault requiring confession and acknowledgment before the Sangha.
This rule does not completely prohibit keeping food, but only limits excessive or prolonged storage. Its purpose is to train nuns to live simply, without greed for material things, and to maintain the spirit of one gone forth, living from what is provided daily through almsgoing (bhikkhati) or offerings from the community.
The Vinaya Piṭaka explains that this action is intended to prevent the arising of greed, anxiety about the future, and attachment to possessions. It is an expression of the principle of “apariggaha,” non-accumulation and non-possession of too much, which is foundational to the renunciant life.
Practical Meaning
The Sutta on Storing Food offers profound lessons about psychological purity and ethical practice.
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