佛祖統紀 33.25

33.25

乞食　梵語分衛。此云乞食（善見論）凡乞食為四分。一奉同梵行。一與窮乞。一與鬼神。一分自食（寶雲經）行乞食者破一切憍慢（法集經）食有三種。一受請食。二眾僧食。三常乞食。前二食起諸陋因緣。若得請便言我有德。若不請則嫌恨彼。或自鄙薄是貪法。則能遮道。若僧食者。當隨眾法。斷事擯人。料理僧事心則散亂妨廢行道。有如是惱亂。應受乞食法（十二頭陀經）。

Alms-Begging: In Sanskrit, it is called piṇḍapāta; here it is translated as 'begging for food'. (Samantapāsādikā) In general, alms food is divided into four portions: one portion is offered to fellow practitioners of the pure life (brahmacarya), one portion is given to the poor and beggars, one portion is given to ghosts and spirits, and one portion is eaten by oneself. (Baoyun jing) One who practices begging for food smashes all arrogance. (Dharmasaṃgīti Sūtra) There are three kinds of food: first, food received by invitation; second, food of the Saṃgha community; third, food obtained by constant alms-begging. The first two kinds of food give rise to defiling conditions: if one receives an invitation, one says, 'I have virtue'; if one is not invited, one feels resentment toward the host, or belittles oneself—this is grasping at phenomena, which obstructs the Path. As for the food of the Saṃgha community, one must follow the communal rules, settle affairs, expel individuals, and manage monastic affairs, which scatters the mind and impedes the practice of the Path. With such vexations, one should adopt the practice of alms-begging. (Dvādaśa-dhūta Sūtra)