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Theravāda Vinaya Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law
Mahāvibhaṅga The Great Analysis
Sekhiyakaṇḍa The chapter on training
Kabaḷavagga The subchapter on mouthfuls
44. Piṇḍukkhepakasikkhāpada Eating from lifted mouthfuls
Origin story
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.
Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū piṇḍukkhepakaṁ bhuñjanti …pe… At that time the monks from the group of six ate from lifted balls of food. …
Final ruling
“Na piṇḍukkhepakaṁ bhuñjissāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā”ti. “‘I will not eat from a lifted ball of food,’ this is how you should train.” According to Sp 2.620 this means repeatedly lifting a mouthful. Since the following rule refers to breaking pieces off a ball of food, this rule may refer to biting repeatedly into the same ball of food.
Na piṇḍukkhepakaṁ bhuñjitabbaṁ. One should not eat from a lifted ball of food.
Yo anādariyaṁ paṭicca piṇḍukkhepakaṁ bhuñjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If a monk, out of disrespect, eats from a lifted ball of food, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
Anāpatti—There is no offense:
asañcicca, if it is unintentional;
assatiyā, if he is not mindful;
ajānantassa, if he does not know;
gilānassa, if he is sick;
khajjake, if it is fresh food; For a brief explanation of the word khajjaka, see comment at Bu Sk 39:1.11.
phalāphale, if it is any kind of fruit; For phalāphale see PED, sv. ā⁴.
āpadāsu, if there is an emergency;
ummattakassa, if he is insane;
ādikammikassāti. if he is the first offender.
Catutthasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ. The fourth training rule is finished.