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37. Eating at the wrong time

Vikālabhojana

A monk who eats between noon and dawn must confess the offense.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2MahāvibhaṅgaThe Great Analysis
  • 0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
  • 0.4BhojanavaggaThe subchapter on eating

0.537. VikālabhojanasikkhāpadaEating at the wrong time

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove,1.2Tena kho pana samayena rājagahe giraggasamajjo hoti.there was a hilltop fair in Rājagaha,1.3Sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū giraggasamajjaṁ dassanāya agamaṁsu.which the monks from the group of seventeen went to see.1.4Manussā sattarasavaggiye bhikkhū passitvā nahāpetvā vilimpetvā bhojetvā khādanīyaṁ adaṁsu.When people saw the monks, they bathed them, anointed them, fed them cooked food, and gave them fresh food.1.5Sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū khādanīyaṁ ādāya ārāmaṁ gantvā chabbaggiye bhikkhū etadavocuṁ—They took that food and brought it back to the monastery. And they said to the monks from the group of six,1.6“gaṇhāthāvuso, khādanīyaṁ khādathā”ti.“Help yourselves!”

1.7“Kuto tumhehi, āvuso, khādanīyaṁ laddhan”ti?“But where did you get this food?”1.8Sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū chabbaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.And they told them what had happened.

1.9“Kiṁ pana tumhe, āvuso, vikāle bhojanaṁ bhuñjathā”ti?“So, do you eat at the wrong time?”

1.10“Evamāvuso”ti.“Yes.”

1.11Chabbaggiyā bhikkhū ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The monks from the group of six complained and criticized them,1.12“kathañhi nāma sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū vikāle bhojanaṁ bhuñjissantī”ti.“How can those monks from the group of seventeen eat at the wrong time?”

1.13Atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.They told the monks,1.14Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—and the monks of few desires complained and criticized them,1.15“kathañhi nāma sattarasavaggiyā bhikkhū vikāle bhojanaṁ bhuñjissantī”ti …pe…“How can the monks from the group of seventeen eat at the wrong time?” …1.16“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, vikāle bhojanaṁ bhuñjathā”ti?“Is it true, monks, that you do this?”

1.17“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.18Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.19kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, vikāle bhojanaṁ bhuñjissatha.“Foolish men, how can you do this?1.20Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.21evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.22.0Final ruling

1.22.1“Yo pana bhikkhu vikāle khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā khādeyya vā bhuñjeyya vā, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk eats fresh or cooked food at the wrong time, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1PTS 4.86Yo panātiA:
2.1.2yo yādiso …pe…whoever …
2.1.3bhikkhūtiMonk:
2.1.4…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.… The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.
2.1.5Vikālo nāmaAt the wrong time:
2.1.6majjhanhike vītivatte yāva aruṇuggamanā.when the middle of the day has passed, until dawn.
2.1.7Khādanīyaṁ nāmaFresh food:
2.1.8pañca bhojanāni—yāmakālikaṁ sattāhakālikaṁ yāvajīvikaṁ ṭhapetvā avasesaṁ khādanīyaṁ nāma.apart from the five cooked foods, the post-midday tonics, the seven-day tonics, and the lifetime tonics, the rest is called “fresh food”.
2.1.9Bhojanīyaṁ nāmaCooked food:
2.1.10pañca bhojanāni—odano, kummāso, sattu, maccho, maṁsaṁ.there are five kinds of cooked food: cooked grain, porridge, flour products, fish, and meat.

2.1.11“Khādissāmi bhuñjissāmī”ti paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If he receives fresh or cooked food with the intention of eating it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.12Ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti pācittiyassa.For every mouthful swallowed, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Vikāle vikālasaññī khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā khādati vā bhuñjati vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is the wrong time, and he perceives it as such, and he eats fresh or cooked food, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.2Vikāle vematiko khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā khādati vā bhuñjati vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is the wrong time, but he is unsure of it, and he eats fresh or cooked food, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.3Vikāle kālasaññī khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā khādati vā bhuñjati vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is the wrong time, but he perceives it as the right time, and he eats fresh or cooked food, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.4Yāmakālikaṁ sattāhakālikaṁ yāvajīvikaṁ āhāratthāya paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If he receives post-midday tonics, seven-day tonics, or lifetime tonics for the purpose of food, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.5Ajjhohāre ajjhohāre āpatti dukkaṭassa.For every mouthful swallowed, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.6Kāle vikālasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is the right time, but he perceives it as the wrong time, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.7Kāle vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is the right time, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.8Kāle kālasaññī, anāpatti.If it is the right time, and he perceives it as such, there is no offense.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2yāmakālikaṁ sattāhakālikaṁ yāvajīvikaṁ sati paccaye paribhuñjati,if, when there is a reason, he uses post-midday tonics, seven-day tonics, or lifetime tonics;2.3.3ummattakassa,if he is insane;2.3.4ādikammikassāti.if he is the first offender.

2.3.5Vikālabhojanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ sattamaṁ.The training rule on eating at the wrong time, the seventh, is finished.