Bu Pc 31

31. Āvasathapiṇḍasikkhāpada

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena sāvatthiyā avidūre aññatarassa pūgassa āvasathapiṇḍo paññatto hoti. Chabbaggiyā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisitvā piṇḍaṁ alabhamānā āvasathaṁ agamaṁsu. Manussā—“cirassampi bhadantā āgatā”ti sakkaccaṁ parivisiṁsu. Atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū dutiyampi divasaṁ …pe… tatiyampi divasaṁ pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisitvā piṇḍaṁ alabhamānā āvasathaṁ gantvā bhuñjiṁsu. Atha kho chabbaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ etadahosi— “kiṁ mayaṁ karissāma ārāmaṁ gantvā. Hiyyopi idheva āgantabbaṁ bhavissatī”ti, tattheva anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjanti. Titthiyā apasakkanti. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjissanti. Nayimesaññeva āvasathapiṇḍo paññatto; sabbesaññeva āvasathapiṇḍo paññatto”ti. Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjissantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjathā”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjissatha. Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

Eating excessively at a public guesthouse Origin story First substory

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, a certain association was preparing an almsmeal at a public guesthouse not far from Sāvatthī. Then, after robing up in the morning, the monks from the group of six took their bowls and robes and entered Sāvatthī for alms. Not getting anything, they went to that public guesthouse. Because it was a long time since they had been there, people served them respectfully. A second and a third day those monks did the same thing. Then they thought, “What’s the point of returning to the monastery? Tomorrow we’ll just have to come back here.” So they stayed on and on right there, eating alms at the guesthouse, while the monastics of other religions left. People complained and criticized them, “How can the Sakyan monastics stay on and on, eating alms at the guesthouse? We don’t prepare the almsfood just for them; we prepare it for everyone.” The monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, “How could the monks from the group of six stay on and on, eating alms at a public guesthouse?” … “Is it true, monks, that you did this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how could you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

“Eko āvasathapiṇḍo bhuñjitabbo. Tato ce uttari bhuñjeyya, pācittiyan”ti.

Preliminary ruling

‘If a monk eats more than one almsmeal at a public guesthouse, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.

In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto kosalesu janapade sāvatthiṁ gacchanto yena aññataro āvasatho tenupasaṅkami. Manussā—“cirassampi thero āgato”ti sakkaccaṁ parivisiṁsu. Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa bhuttāvissa kharo ābādho uppajji, nāsakkhi tamhā āvasathā pakkamituṁ. Atha kho te manussā dutiyampi divasaṁ āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavocuṁ— “bhuñjatha, bhante”ti. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto— “bhagavatā paṭikkhittaṁ anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjitun”ti kukkuccāyanto na paṭiggahesi; chinnabhatto ahosi. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiṁ gantvā bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi. Bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ. Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi— “anujānāmi, bhikkhave, gilānena bhikkhunā anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjituṁ. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

Second substory

Soon afterwards Venerable Sāriputta was traveling through the Kosalan country on his way to Sāvatthī when he came to a public guesthouse. Because it was a long time since he had been there, people served him respectfully. After he had eaten, Sāriputta became severely ill, and he was unable to leave that guesthouse. On the second day, too, those people said to him, “Please eat, venerable.” But since he knew that the Buddha had prohibited eating alms at a public guesthouse after staying on and on, and because he was afraid of wrongdoing, he did not accept. As a consequence, he missed his meal. When he arrived at Sāvatthī, he told the monks what had happened, and they in turn told the Buddha. Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “Monks, I allow a sick monk to stay on at a public guesthouse and eat alms there. And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

“Agilānena bhikkhunā eko āvasathapiṇḍo bhuñjitabbo. Tato ce uttari bhuñjeyya, pācittiyan”ti.

Final ruling

‘If a monk who is not sick eats more than one almsmeal at a public guesthouse, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Agilāno nāma sakkoti tamhā āvasathā pakkamituṁ. Gilāno nāma na sakkoti tamhā āvasathā pakkamituṁ. Āvasathapiṇḍo nāma pañcannaṁ bhojanānaṁ aññataraṁ bhojanaṁ— sālāya vā maṇḍape vā rukkhamūle vā ajjhokāse vā anodissa yāvadattho paññatto hoti. Agilānena bhikkhunā sakiṁ bhuñjitabbo. Tato ce uttari “bhuñjissāmī”ti paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti pācittiyassa.

Definitions

Who is not sick: who is able to leave that public guesthouse. Who is sick: who is unable to leave that public guesthouse. Almsmeal at a public guesthouse: as much as one needs of any of the five cooked foods, prepared for the general public, in a building, under a roof cover, at the foot of a tree, or out in the open. A monk who is not sick may eat there once. If he receives food beyond that with the intention of eating it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. For every mouthful swallowed, he commits an offense entailing confession.

Agilāno agilānasaññī tatuttari āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa. Agilāno vematiko tatuttari āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa. Agilāno gilānasaññī tatuttari āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa. Gilāno agilānasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Gilāno vematiko āpatti dukkaṭassa. Gilāno gilānasaññī, anāpatti.

Permutations

If he is not sick, and he perceives himself as not sick, and he eats more than one almsmeal at a public guesthouse, he commits an offense entailing confession. If he is not sick, but he is unsure of it, and he eats more than one almsmeal at a public guesthouse, he commits an offense entailing confession. If he is not sick, but he perceives himself as sick, and he eats more than one almsmeal at a public guesthouse, he commits an offense entailing confession. If he is sick, but he perceives himself as not sick, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If he is sick, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If he is sick, and he perceives himself as sick, there is no offense.

Anāpatti— gilānassa, agilāno sakiṁ bhuñjati, gacchanto, vā āgacchanto vā bhuñjati, sāmikā nimantetvā bhojenti, odissa paññatto hoti, na yāvadattho paññatto hoti, pañca bhojanāni ṭhapetvā sabbattha anāpatti, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if he is sick; if he is not sick and he eats once; if he eats while coming or going; if he eats after being invited by the owners; if the food is prepared specifically for him; if there is not as much as he needs; if it is anything apart from the five cooked foods; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.