Bu Pc 4040. Eating ungiven food
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dantapona
A monk who consumes unoffered food or drink must confess the offense.
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Pātimokkha Bhikkhunī 40: On Eating Ungiven Food
Background
This rule is found in the Pātimokkha (Pratimoksha) of the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, where it governs actions constituting disciplinary offenses for bhikkhunīs (nuns) that require confession (paṭidesanīya). The Pātimokkha is the foundational recitation of rules, chanted every half lunar month within the Saṅgha community.
In the history of early Buddhism, the Buddha established a system of Vinaya (Discipline) to govern the collective monastic body. The rule concerning eating ungiven food (unoffered food) is not an absolute prohibition like other grave offenses, yet it is still regarded as a fault requiring public confession. This reflects the respect accorded to offerings and the ethical standards governing the use of such items by those who have gone forth into homelessness.
Main Content
According to Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha rule 40, a bhikkhunī must not of her own accord eat or drink foods or drinks that no one has provided (anupadinnadikkhādaniyaṁ). If a bhikkhunī eats food or drinks water that has not been provided or offered to the community or to an individual, such conduct is termed paṭidesanīya, meaning it must be publicly confessed before the community.
Food that is "given" (dinná) generally refers to food that the community or an individual has intentionally provided for the monastics, or that has been lawfully arranged within communal meals. Conversely, food that is "ungiven" includes food that a bhikkhunī takes by herself from outside sources, or from places that are not formal offering sites, or that has been prepared without a clear intention of donation.
The act of confession in this case does not require witnesses or a complex formal procedure as is necessary for other offenses. The bhikkhunī need only proceed publicly before the community and confess her fault, expressing remorse and the resolve to reform.
Practical Significance
This rule is not merely an administrative regulation concerning sustenance; it also reflects the fundamental values of Theravāda Buddhism.
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