Theravāda Vinaya
Translators: brahmali
Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law
Mahāvibhaṅga
The Great Analysis
Pācittiyakaṇḍa
The chapter on offenses entailing confession
Bhojanavagga
The subchapter on eating
31. Āvasathapiṇḍasikkhāpada
The training rule on almsmeals at public guesthouses
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,
Tena kho pana samayena sāvatthiyā avidūre aññatarassa pūgassa āvasathapiṇḍo paññatto hoti.
a certain association was preparing an almsmeal at a public guesthouse not far from Sāvatthī.
Chabbaggiyā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisitvā piṇḍaṁ alabhamānā āvasathaṁ agamaṁsu.
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.
Manussā—“cirassampi bhadantā āgatā”ti sakkaccaṁ parivisiṁsu.
Because it was a long time since they had been there, people served them respectfully.
Atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū dutiyampi divasaṁ …pe… tatiyampi divasaṁ pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisitvā piṇḍaṁ alabhamānā āvasathaṁ gantvā bhuñjiṁsu.
A second and a third day those monks did the same thing.
Atha kho chabbaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ etadahosi—
Then they thought,
“kiṁ mayaṁ karissāma ārāmaṁ gantvā.
“What’s the point of returning to the monastery?
Hiyyopi idheva āgantabbaṁ bhavissatī”ti,
Tomorrow we’ll just have to come back here.”
tattheva anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjanti.
So they stayed on and on right there, eating alms at the guesthouse,
Titthiyā apasakkanti.
while the monastics of other religions left.
Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—
People complained and criticized them,
“kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjissanti.
“How can the Sakyan monastics stay on and on, eating alms at the guesthouse?
Nayimesaññeva āvasathapiṇḍo paññatto;
We don’t prepare the alms-food just for them;
sabbesaññeva āvasathapiṇḍo paññatto”ti.
we prepare it for everyone.”
Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.
The monks heard the complaints of those people,
Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—
and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks,
“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjissantī”ti …pe…
“How could the monks from the group of six stay on and on, eating alms at a public guesthouse?” …
“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjathā”ti?
“Is it true, monks, that you did this?”
“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
“It’s true, Sir.”
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…
The Buddha rebuked them …
kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjissatha.
“Foolish men, how could you do this?
Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…
This will affect people’s confidence …” …
evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
“Eko āvasathapiṇḍo bhuñjitabbo. Tato ce uttari bhuñjeyya, pācittiyan”ti.
‘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.
Soon afterwards Venerable Sāriputta was traveling through the Kosalan country on his way to Sāvatthī when he came to a public guesthouse.
Manussā—“cirassampi thero āgato”ti sakkaccaṁ parivisiṁsu.
Because it was a long time since he had been there, people served him respectfully.
Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa bhuttāvissa kharo ābādho uppajji, nāsakkhi tamhā āvasathā pakkamituṁ.
After he had eaten, Sāriputta became severely ill, and he was unable to leave that guesthouse.
Atha kho te manussā dutiyampi divasaṁ āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavocuṁ—
On the second day, too, those people said to him,
“bhuñjatha, bhante”ti.
“Please eat, Venerable.”
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto—
But since he knew that
“bhagavatā paṭikkhittaṁ anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjitun”ti kukkuccāyanto na paṭiggahesi;
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.
chinnabhatto ahosi.
As a consequence, he missed his meal.
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiṁ gantvā bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.
When he arrived at Sāvatthī, he told the monks what had happened,
Bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.
and they in turn told the Buddha.
Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—
Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:
“anujānāmi, bhikkhave, gilānena bhikkhunā anuvasitvā anuvasitvā āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjituṁ.
“Monks, I allow a sick monk to stay on at a public guesthouse and eat alms there.
Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
“Agilānena bhikkhunā eko āvasathapiṇḍo bhuñjitabbo. Tato ce uttari bhuñjeyya, pācittiyan”ti.
‘If a monk who is not sick eats more than one almsmeal at a public guesthouse, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”
Agilāno nāma
Who is not sick:
sakkoti tamhā āvasathā pakkamituṁ.
he is able to leave that public guesthouse.
Gilāno nāma
Who is sick:
na sakkoti tamhā āvasathā pakkamituṁ.
he is unable to leave that public guesthouse.
Āvasathapiṇḍo nāma
Almsmeal at a public guesthouse:
pañcannaṁ bhojanānaṁ aññataraṁ bhojanaṁ— sālāya vā maṇḍape vā rukkhamūle vā ajjhokāse vā anodissa yāvadattho paññatto hoti.
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.
Agilānena bhikkhunā sakiṁ bhuñjitabbo. Tato ce uttari “bhuñjissāmī”ti paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
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.
Ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti pācittiyassa.
For every mouthful, he commits an offense entailing confession.
Agilāno agilānasaññī tatuttari āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
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.
Agilāno vematiko tatuttari āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
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.
Agilāno gilānasaññī tatuttari āvasathapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
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.
Gilāno agilānasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If he is sick, but he perceives himself as not sick, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Gilāno vematiko āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If he is sick, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Gilāno gilānasaññī, anāpatti.
If he is sick, and he perceives himself as sick, there is no offense.
Anāpatti—
There is no offense:
gilānassa,
if he is sick;
agilāno sakiṁ bhuñjati,
if he is not sick and he eats once;
gacchanto, vā āgacchanto vā bhuñjati,
if he eats while coming or going;
sāmikā nimantetvā bhojenti,
if he eats after being invited by the owners;
odissa paññatto hoti,
if the food is prepared specifically for him;
na yāvadattho paññatto hoti,
if there is not as much as he needs;
pañca bhojanāni ṭhapetvā sabbattha anāpatti,
if it is anything apart from the five cooked foods;
ummattakassa,
if he is insane;
ādikammikassāti.
if he is the first offender.
Āvasathapiṇḍasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.
The training rule on almsmeals at public guesthouses, the first, is finished.