Xct Mu Bu Vb Sk 44Na anāgate khādanīyabhojanīye pātram upanāmayiṣyāma

Scripture Commentary: Na anāgate khādanīyabhojanīye pātram upanāmayiṣyāma

Context

This text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddha-Dharma tradition, specifically in the Mahāvagga or the section of major regulations for the Sangha. The title, written in the original Pali, means “One should not direct the bowl containing food toward the future,” or more broadly, “One must not store or reserve bowls of food for future meals.”

The Vinaya is the disciplinary foundation of the Buddhist Sangha, issued by the Buddha to guide all those who went forth under him. The regulations in the Vinaya are not arbitrary prohibitions, but instructions that help monks and nuns preserve purity, inner discipline, and a harmonious community. This text is directly related to the use of the bowl by bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs.

Main Content

This rule arose from practical needs in monastic life during the Buddha’s time. The bowl (pātram) is not only an everyday tool, but also a symbol of fairness, nondiscrimination, and simplicity in the lifestyle of those gone forth. Each bhikkhu is permitted to possess one bowl for alms, and should not accumulate many bowls or reserve space for future meals.

The rule “not directing the bowl toward future food” (na anāgate khādanīyabhojanīye pātram upanāmayiṣyāma) is intended to prevent the mentality of storing up food and clinging to possessions. If a bhikkhu prepares a bowl for meals not yet come, this may lead to: (1) anxiety about future food, (2) mental distraction from meditation, and (3) violation of the principle of depending on the community for alms. This is contrary to the spirit of Buddha-Dharma concerning relinquishment (tyāga) and not-self (anattā).