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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
45. Kabaḷāvacchedakasikkhāpada Breaking up 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 kabaḷāvacchedakaṁ bhuñjanti …pe…. At that time the monks from the group of six ate breaking up mouthfuls. …
Final ruling
“Na kabaḷāvacchedakaṁ bhuñjissāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā”ti. “‘I will not eat breaking up mouthfuls,’ this is how you should train.” According to Sp 2.621 this means repeatedly breaking pieces off a ball of food. The word avacchedaka is further explained at Vin-vn-ṭ 1920 as chinditvā, “having broken off”. This, it seems, can only refer to breaking off pieces, not to biting. Each ball of food was a single mouthful, consisting of rice with suitable curry.
Na kabaḷāvacchedakaṁ bhuñjitabbaṁ. One should not eat breaking up mouthfuls.
Yo anādariyaṁ paṭicca kabaḷāvacchedakaṁ bhuñjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If a monk, out of disrespect, eats breaking up mouthfuls, 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.
uttaribhaṅge, if it is a non-bean curry; For a brief discussion of the word uttaribhaṅga, see comment at Bu Sk 33:1.13.
āpadāsu, if there is an emergency;
ummattakassa, if he is insane;
ādikammikassāti. if he is the first offender.
Pañcamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ. The fifth training rule is finished.