Bi Pc 4646. Giving food to a non-monastic
Pāli / Sanskrit:Bhojanadāna
A nun who gives food to anyone who is not a Buddhist monastic must confess the offense.
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Commentary on the Bhojanadāna (Bi Pc 46)
Giving Food to Those Who Are Not Monastics
Background
This rule is recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha — the scriptural code of discipline for bhikkhunis — belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka, which forms the ethical foundation of the Buddhist monastic community in the Theravāda tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not abstract theory, but concrete action for preserving the spirit of practice and reverence for the Triple Gem.
This offence (Pācittiya 46) is named Bhojanadāna, a Pāli term meaning "giving food." It concerns the regulations governing the property and food of bhikkhunis within the Saṅgha. These regulations are not intended to restrain the virtue of generosity, but to ensure transparency, self-governance, and the avoidance of situations that could lead to corruption within the collective system of practice.
Principal Content
The Bhojanadāna rule stipulates clearly: if a bhikkhuni gives food to any person who is not a duly recognized bhikkhu or bhikkhuni within the Buddhist Saṅgha, this constitutes a breach of the rule, and that person must confess the offence (Pācittiya). A Pācittiya is a lighter category of offence than more serious violations, yet it still requires sincere confession and expiation.
This rule applies equally to cases of giving to lay persons, to followers of other religions, or even to those who were formerly bhikkhunis but have returned to lay life. The essential point is not one of discrimination, but of oversight over communal property and over the food that has been offered for the use of the monastic community.
In practice, the food supplied to the Saṅgha typically comes from alms rounds and from donations. The haphazard use of such requisites could lead to misuse or to a loss of trust among the lay community of supporters. This rule protects the purity of the Saṅgha and upholds ethical integrity within the community.
Practical Significance
The Bhojanadāna rule teaches us an important lesson in self-governance and responsibility with regard to communal property.
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