Bi Pd 55. Asking for fish

Source Status

The scripture entry bearing the designation Bi Pd 5 (Macchaviññāpana — "Asking for Fish"), belonging to the Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka within the Theravāda canonical system, does not yet have a complete Vietnamese translation that was directly consulted in the preparation of this exposition. What is presented below has been constructed entirely on the basis of the descriptive information provided — including the title, reference number, tradition, and scriptural collection — combined with a general understanding of the structure and spirit of the Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka. This exposition is not a translation of the original scripture and does not substitute for direct consultation of the Pāli text or of critically established translations.

---

Background

The Vinaya Piṭaka is one of the three core canonical collections of Theravāda Buddhism, dedicated to recording the rules of training that the Buddha laid down for the monastic community — both bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. Within it, the rules of training specific to bhikkhunīs (Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha) comprise several distinct categories of training rules, classified according to the gravity of the offense and the manner of its resolution.

Bi Pd 5 falls within the Pācittiya (Pd — Pācittiya) group for bhikkhunīs (Bi — Bhikkhunī). This is a category of training rules involving offenses of a lesser gravity than the major rules, requiring the offender to confess and express remorse before the Sangha or before another bhikkhunī. The ordinal number 5 indicates that this is the fifth rule in a series of Pācittiya training rules arranged either thematically or according to the historical sequence in which the rules were established.

---

Content Determinable from the Descriptive Information

The Pāli title Macchaviññāpana is composed of two elements: maccha (fish) and viññāpana (asking, soliciting, the act of requesting). This training rule therefore concerns the act of asking for fish — specifically, a bhikkhunī specially requesting fish (or fish as food) from laypeople or from those who are not her relatives.

Within the Pāli Vinaya tradition, an important principle holds that monastics are not permitted to actively solicit rich, delicate, or special foodstuffs (such as fish, meat, butter, oil, honey, and the like) unless they are ill or are permitted to ask from relatives. Actively requesting such items from those who bear no familial obligation to one is regarded as an expression of attachment to food, a lack of contentment, and an imposition of burden upon the lay supporters of the Dharma.

The training rule Macchaviññāpana therefore stipulates that a bhikkhunī who asks for fish in an improper manner — that is, who solicits it from those who have no duty to make offerings or who are not her relatives — incurs a Pācittiya offense and must confess it in order to clear the fault in her conduct.

Although the full text of the scripture has not been directly consulted to establish the complete details regarding the conditions for transgression, the exceptions, and the specific mode of resolution, the standard structure of Pācittiya training rules in the Pāli Vinaya typically includes: the original occasion that prompted the laying down of the rule, the Buddha's pronouncement of the rule, an analysis of each element constituting the transgression, cases in which no offense is incurred, and the permissible exceptions.

---

Significance for Practice

This training rule, though minor in form, carries profound significance with respect to the spirit of few wishes and contentment — a foundational virtue of the holy life. One who has gone forth receives food through the practice of almsround or through the voluntary offerings of donors, not according to personal preference or craving. Actively soliciting special food reflects an entanglement with taste, nurturing craving in the domain of food — something the Vinaya seeks to cut off at its very root.

Moreover, asking for fish or any delicacy from those who are not one's relatives creates psychological and material pressure for laypeople, and may damage trust and the harmonious relationship between the Sangha and the lay community. This rule therefore also protects the good standing of the Sangha and fosters mutual respect between monastics and the laity.

For those engaged in practice and study, reflection upon this training rule is a reminder that liberation comes not only through meditation and wisdom, but also through the purification of conduct in even the smallest details of daily life — including the manner in which one receives and relates to food.

---

Note on Sources

Since the full Pāli source text of Bi Pd 5 — Macchaviññāpana was not directly consulted in the preparation of this exposition, readers are encouraged to seek out reliable editions of the Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka in order to verify the complete details of this training rule, including the occasion for its promulgation, the conditions for transgression and non-transgression, and the spirit of practice that the Buddha wished to convey through it.