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190 :
Sramana, Vol 58, No. 2-3/April-September 2007
indiscriminately, go to such a house in a hurry and ask for alms. If it be unavoidably expedient to go, however, only for the sake of service to a sick monk, you can". (619).
This permission to go to such a house cannot in any way mean that the author of the Sūtra extends permission to receive meat in alms. The permission to go to such a house is only under exceptional and unavoidable circumstances of a sick monk, who may be in need of a light vegetarian food such as cakes and buns, which are not available at any other place. Under normal conditions, however, a monk or nun has to keep away from such places, even though they may be answering to certain of his or her requirements. This saves them from the blame to which, otherwise, they can be exposed by indiscriminate critics.
A household contains so many articles and things, the use of some of which may be permissible to the monks and nuns and that of the others not permissible. If a monk goes to such a place he goes only for the permissible ones. It is not fair and just, on the part of the critics, therefore, to put wrong construction and say that he goes and receives non-permissible things too.
2nd quotations under dispute :
से भिक्खू वा (२) से ज्जं पुण जाणेज्जा, बहु अट्ठियं मंसं वा बहुकंटगं, अस्सि खलु पडिगाहितंसि अप्पे सिया भोयणजाए, बहुउज्झियधम्मिए तहप्पगारं बहुअट्ठियं मंसं मच्छं वा बहुकंटगं लाभे संते जाव णो पडिगहेज्जा (६२९)
से भिक्खू वा (२) जाव समाणे सिया णं परो बहुअट्ठिएण मंसेण मच्छेण उवणिमंतेज्जा “आउसंतो समणा, अभिकंखसि बहुअट्ठियं मंसं पडिगाहेत्तए'? एयप्पगारं पिग्धोसं सकोच्चा णिसम्म से पुव्वामेव आलोएज्जा, “आउसो त्ति वा भइणि त्ति वा, णो खलु मे कप्पइ से बहुअट्ठियं मंसं पडिगाहेत्तए। अभिकंखसि मे दाउं जावइयं तावइयं पोग्गलं दलयाहि, मा अट्ठियाइं" से सेवं वदंतस्स परो अभिह अंडतो पडिग्गहगंसि बहुअट्ठियं मंसं परिभाएत्ता णिहुट्ठ दलएज्जा, तहप्पगारं पडिग्गहगं परित्थंसि वा परपायंसि व अफासुयं अणेणिज्जं लाभे संते जाव णो पडिगाहेज्जा। से
