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## [44]
[Nishith Sutra]
33. A monk who consumes or approves of the consumption of food prepared in Jain households where the entire meal is donated daily, incurs a minor monthly penance.
34. A monk who consumes or approves of the consumption of food prepared in Jain households where half of the meal is donated daily, incurs a minor monthly penance.
35. A monk who consumes or approves of the consumption of food prepared in Jain households where one-third of the meal is donated daily, incurs a minor monthly penance.
36. A monk who consumes or approves of the consumption of food prepared in Jain households where one-sixth of the meal is donated daily, incurs a minor monthly penance. (He incurs a minor monthly penance.)
**Discussion:** The meaning of these sutras is indicated by the commentary verse: "The entire meal, half of the meal, one-third, and so on, the portion that is donated, that is the portion that is considered excessive." [1009] Based on this verse, the meaning of the original text is given here.
If a monk or nun accepts a special meal that is offered daily with an invitation to specific individuals like priests, etc., they incur a minor monthly penance. This rule is stated in the 32nd sutra, and these four sutras mention accepting donations from households that donate daily.
If a monk or nun accepts a regular meal that is offered to ordinary people, they incur a minor monthly penance.
The Acharanga Sutra (Shru. 2, A. 1, U. 1) completely prohibits monks and nuns from going to households where a portion of the food is donated daily. These four penance sutras are related to that prohibition. The text of the Acharanga Sutra is as follows:
"Do not go to those households where they donate daily, where they donate the first portion daily, where they donate a portion daily, where they donate an excessive portion daily, or to those households that are constantly donating daily. Do not enter or exit those households for food or for any other reason."
Going to such households creates an obstacle to donations and incurs the fault of post-karma, because when the food is prepared again, there is initial violence.
The food donated daily from households that donate the entire meal is called "nitya-pinda." Monks and nuns who accept such nitya-pinda incur the minor monthly penance mentioned in the sutras.
The "nitya-pinda" mentioned in the Acharanga Sutra is different from the "niyaga-pinda anachaar" mentioned in the Dashavaikalika Sutra. The Acharanga Sutra and the Nishith Sutra refer to niyaga-pinda anachaar as "nitya agra-pinda." Commentators have explained that niyaga-pinda and nitya agra-pinda have the same meaning. In the current system, nitya-pinda is different from the fault of daily donation and niyaga-pinda anachaar.