Bu Pc 4141. Giving food to non-Buddhist monastics
Pāli / Sanskrit:Acelaka
A monk who gives food to a non-Buddhist mendicant must confess the offense.
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The Acelaka Sutta: On Offering Food to Non-Buddhist Monastics
Background
This rule is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka — the collection of precepts governing the daily life of bhikkhus. In the early period of Buddhism, followers and non-Buddhists lived side by side within communities. A natural question arose: were Buddhist monastics permitted to offer food to practitioners belonging to other religions? The Acelaka rule (meaning "the unclothed ones" or "the hairless ones") was established by the Blessed One to clarify this matter, with the aim of protecting the purity and spiritual integrity of the Saṅgha, while at the same time respecting the boundaries between different traditions.
Non-Buddhist monastics were referred to by various names depending on their tradition — they might be followers of Jainism, Ājīvikas, or other religions prevalent in ancient India. This distinction did not arise from contempt, but from a fundamental principle: Buddhist lay followers should focus their support on their own Saṅgha — those committed to the practice of the Buddha-Dhamma.
Main Content
According to this Pātimokkha rule, if a bhikkhu voluntarily offers food — whether rice, broth, or anything edible — to a monastic who is not a disciple of the Blessed One, that bhikkhu must confess his offence before the Saṅgha. This is known as a Pācittiya offence (Pali: pācittiya), meaning it is less grave than serious acts such as killing or stealing, yet still requires public confession and repentance.
The underlying rationale for this rule lies in the principle of training within the Saṅgha. Bhikkhus are not homeless for economic or social reasons, but because they seek liberation through the path of the Buddha-Dhamma. When offerings are made to other religions, lay followers might be led to misunderstand that the Saṅgha lacks sufficient compassion or support.
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