Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 70

THE SALIENT FEATURES OF BUDDHIST VINAYA
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Proper food: It has just been remarked that the use of food gathered from begging-tours was the ancient rule which, because of unavoidable circumstances and reasons, was relaxed with the permission to enjoy community dinner, food for appointed persons, invitations, etc.1 This relaxation led to the promulgation of innumerable rules as regards the nature of food and bowls, time of begging, the way of proceeding to the village, receiving articles of food and eating, quantity of food, and storing up articles of food, etc.
Rice-gruel (yagu) was the most common food of the monks. Besides, five kinds of delicacies-ghee, butter, oil, honey and molasses, which were treated as medicine; preparation from molasses and kidneybean (mugga); and honey-lumps (modhugolaka)2; five products of the cow-milk, curd, ghee, butter-milk and butter; eatable herbs (daka); flour eatables (piṭṭhakhadaniya) and fruits were also allowed to them.
So far as drinks were concerned monks were allowed the use of syrups prepared from fruits like mango, jumbu, etc., leaves and flowers. Besides, ucchurasa (juice of sugar-cane), guļodaka (sugar-water) and udakasambhinna (wa'er as beverage) were also permissible to them. Drinking water containing living beings knowingly was an offence."
The monks were allowed the use of meat and fish, not prepared purposely for them." They were however debarred form taking flesh of men and such animals as elephant, horse, serpent, lion, etc.
In normal circumstances a healthy monk was prohibited from taking more than one meal at a public rest-house (a vasatha-pinda), taking food with more than three persons (gaṇa-bhojana), enjoying meal in turn (parampara-bhojana, receiving food from lay-devotees under discipline (sekhasammatāni kulani), taking food at his own house (ajihārāme)", begging delicacies for his own use, accepting an invitation for more than a period of four months without being invited again10 and taking food afresh or already left after finishing once11. So also
1. sanghabhattam, uddesabhattam, nimantanam, salākahhattam, pakkhikam, uposathikam, patipadikam. MV, 1. 22. 73, p. 55.
2. MV, 6. 1. 1, p. 218; 6. 4. 13, p. 228.
3. Ibid, 6. 22. 41, p. 258; 6. 24. 44, p. 262.
4. Ibid, 6. 4. 14, p. 228; 6. 13. 25, p. 242; 6. 23. 42, p. 269.
5. Ibid, 6. 9. 21, p. 235.
6. Ibid, 6. 10. 22, pp. 235-36.
7. PM, 5 31-33.
8. Ibid, 6. 3-4.
9. Ibid, 5. 39.
10. Ibid, 6. 47. 11. Ibid, 5.85.
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