________________
302
S. B. DEO elderly person, or if the mother of the child was standing nearby and had already given her consent to the child offering the food.521
(2) Vțddha (vuddha): 'An old person'. The reason behind this was
that an old person was likely to give out saliva which was likely to get mixed up with the food. Besides this, there was a likelihood of the old person falling down while offering food.
If the old person was able to support himself or was helped by somebody else to do so, then the monk was allowed to accept
food from him. (3) Matta: 'Intoxicated or drunken person. This person was
likely to vomit on the clothes or requisites of the monk, and
hence the latter was not permitted to accept food from him. (4) Unmatta (ummatta): 'A madman'. A mad person was likely to
embrace the monk or break his pots. A monk, however, could
accept food from a mad person of an auspicious nature. (5) Vepamāna (thevira): 'One of a shaky body'. Such a person
often fell down scattering the food, with personal injury to himself. Hence, only when he was supported by somebody, he could offer food to a monk.
(6) Jvarita (javiä): 'A person having fever'. An ill person was likely
to fall down. More than that the monk was likely to get contagious fever owing to that; hence a monk was not allowed to accept food from such a person.
(7) Andha (andhillaä): A blind person'. People condemned the
monk who accepted food from the blind in case the latter fell down while offering alms. So, unless he was supported by his son and was devoted to them, monks did not consent to accept
food from the blind. (8) Pragalita (pagariä): A leper'. The monk was in constant
danger of contamination from such a person.
(9) Arūdha : 'A person wearing wooden sandals'. There was a
likelihood of such a person falling down while offering alms.
521. Story of the monks who pressed the child to give all food to them upon which the mother got angry and the people also condemned them for their greediness: Ibid., 579.
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