Bu Sk 37

37. Sūpodanaviññattisikkhāpada

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū sūpampi odanampi attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjanti. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā sūpampi odanampi attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjissanti. Kassa sampannaṁ na manāpaṁ. Kassa sāduṁ na ruccatī”ti. Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū sūpampi odanampi attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjissantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, sūpampi odanampi attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjathā”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, sūpampi odanampi attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjissatha. Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

Requesting rice and bean curry Origin story First substory

At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the monks from the group of six ate rice and bean curry that they had requested for themselves. People complained and criticized them, “How can the Sakyan monastics eat rice and bean curry that they have requested for themselves? Who doesn’t like nice food? Who doesn’t prefer tasty food?” The monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, “How can the monks from the group of six do this?” … “Is it true, monks, that you do this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how can you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

“Na sūpaṁ vā odanaṁ vā attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjissāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā”ti.

Preliminary ruling

‘“I will not request bean curry or rice for myself and then eat it,” this is how you should train.’”

Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.

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

Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū gilānā honti. Gilānapucchakā bhikkhū gilāne bhikkhū etadavocuṁ— “kaccāvuso, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyan”ti? “Pubbe mayaṁ, āvuso, sūpampi odanampi attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjāma, tena no phāsu hoti. Idāni pana— ‘bhagavatā paṭikkhittan’ti kukkuccāyantā na viññāpema, tena no na phāsu hotī”ti. Bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe… anujānāmi, bhikkhave, gilānena bhikkhunā sūpampi odanampi attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjituṁ. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

Second substory

Soon afterwards a number of monks were sick. The monks who were looking after them asked, “I hope you’re bearing up? I hope you’re getting better?” “Previously we ate rice and bean curry that we had requested for ourselves, and then we were comfortable. But now that the Buddha has prohibited this, we don’t ask because we’re afraid of wrongdoing. And because of that we’re not comfortable.” They told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “Monks, I allow a sick monk to eat rice and bean curry that he has requested for himself. And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

“Na sūpaṁ vā odanaṁ vā agilāno attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjissāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā”ti.

Final ruling

‘“When not sick, I will not request bean curry or rice for myself and then eat it,” this is how you should train.’”

Na sūpaṁ vā odanaṁ vā agilānena attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjitabbaṁ. Yo anādariyaṁ paṭicca sūpaṁ vā odanaṁ vā agilāno attano atthāya viññāpetvā bhuñjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

When one is not sick, one should not request bean curry or rice for oneself and then eat it. If a monk who is not sick, out of disrespect, eats bean curry or rice that he has requested for himself, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Anāpatti—

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

asañcicca, assatiyā, ajānantassa, gilānassa, ñātakānaṁ, pavāritānaṁ, aññassatthāya, attano dhanena, āpadāsu, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

if it is unintentional; if he is not mindful; if he does not know; if he is sick; if it is from relatives; if it is from those who have given an invitation; if it is for the benefit of someone else; if it is by means of his own property; if there is an emergency; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.