Bi Pd 66. Asking for meat
Pāli / Sanskrit:Maṁsaviññāpana
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The Discourse on Asking for Meat (Maṁsaviññāpana)
An Exposition from the Traditional Theravāda Vinaya
Background
This text appears in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the Code of Discipline for Nuns), in the Pācittiya section, Rule 6. These are detailed regulations governing the financial and ethical life of the bhikkhunīs within the female Sangha of the Buddha.
The historical context relates to an incident within the community of bhikkhunīs: certain nuns had asked their relatives to provide them with meat. This conduct was considered improper, as it ran counter to the principles of training in purity, financial independence, and the discouragement of soliciting particular requisites. The Buddha and the Sangha subsequently established a pācittiya rule — an offense requiring confession — to govern this behavior.
Principal Content
The Maṁsaviññāpana rule prohibits a bhikkhunī from asking or hinting in order to obtain meat from relatives, acquaintances, or others. If a bhikkhunī performs such an action — whether directly or indirectly — she incurs a pācittiya offense.
An important point in this rule is that it does not prohibit the eating of meat altogether, but rather prohibits active solicitation. If meat is offered voluntarily without any request on the part of the bhikkhunī, receiving and eating it is permissible. However, a bhikkhunī must not encourage, suggest, or perform any action intended to cause others to provide her with meat.
The deeper rationale underlying this rule includes: (1) cultivating financial independence and avoiding the misuse of personal relationships; (2) avoiding the imposition of material burdens upon one's family or community; (3) maintaining the principle of purity in one's training; (4) not displaying acquisitiveness or personal preferences on the part of a bhikkhunī.
Practical Significance
The Pācittiya rule concerning asking for meat reflects a profound principle in the Buddha's teaching: independence and financial purity form the foundation of spiritual practice. A bhikkhunī is encouraged to live in contentment, neither soliciting nor prompting others to provide specific requisites.
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