Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
## The Seventeenth Uddeshak
[379 129. A monk who, with awareness, takes or approves of the taking of food, drink, or palatable food that is situated on water.
130. A monk who, with awareness, takes or approves of the taking of food, drink, or palatable food that is situated on fire.
131. A monk who, with awareness, takes or approves of the taking of food, drink, or palatable food that is situated on vegetation.
(He incurs the minor four-month penance.)]
**Discussion:** A monk should not take food or a vessel containing food that is situated on salt, earth, etc., or on water with awareness, or on a water vessel, or on embers or a stove, or on grass, vegetables, etc. with awareness.
**Explanation:** In Praachara Shruti 2, Chapter 1, Uddeshak 7, there is a prohibition against taking food placed on earth, etc. Here, the penance for that is laid down. By taking such food that is contaminated with the fault of being placed on something, there is violence to the one-sensed beings. This is the penance for the fault of being placed on something that is mentioned in this Uddeshak. In the commentary, it is said that the penance for the fault of being placed on something by another is a monthly penance, and if the food is placed on an infinite-bodied being, then the penance for taking it is the major four-month penance.
**Question:** When food is lifted from earth, etc. with awareness, the burden is removed from those beings and they get peace. So why is it prohibited to take such food?
**Solution:** One-sensed beings experience great pain from mere touch. When a monk lifts food or a vessel from something, some beings are crushed. This causes them great pain due to the monk. Because of this violence, it is prohibited to take such food and a penance is prescribed. (Churni)
Here, the penance for the fault of being placed on something is laid down. However, the penance for the fault of being "hidden" in food should also be understood from this Sutra, i.e., if food is taken after removing something placed on it with awareness, then the minor four-month penance is incurred.
Here, the penance is prescribed because of the violence to earth, etc. The fault of being touched is not mentioned in this Sutra or in the faults of food, but because of the violence to earth-bodied beings, etc., the penance for taking food that is touched with awareness should also be understood from this Sutra, similar to the fault of being hidden.
**Explanation:** In direct touch, violence is obvious. But in indirect touch, sometimes there is violence and sometimes there is not. Therefore, if violence is not possible, then there is no penance for taking food that has been indirectly touched. The same understanding of the Sutra and the penance should be applied to taking clothes and other equipment, as it is for food.