[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法苑珠林](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122) › 42.20 # 法苑珠林 42.20 法苑珠林 42.20 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [42.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.42.20) 問曰。何名食時。何名過時。答曰。依四分律云。謂明相出時始得食粥（明相未出即是非時）乃至日中。案此午時為法即是食時（依僧祇律云過此午時影一髮一瞬草葉等即是非時）四天下准此皆同。故毘羅三昧經。世尊為法惠菩薩說云。食有四種。旦天食時。午法食時。暮畜生食時。夜鬼神食時。佛斷六趣因令同三世佛。故日午時是法食時也。過此已後同於下趣。非上食時。故曰非時也。十誦律云。唯天得過中食無罪。 > Question: What is termed the proper time for eating? What is termed the improper time? Answer: Relying on the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya, it states that when the morning star appears, one may first eat gruel (before the morning star appears, it is an improper time), up until midday. Taking this noon hour as the standard, it is the proper time for eating (relying on the Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya, it states that past this noon hour, even by the shadow of a single hair, an instant, or a blade of grass, it is then the improper time); according to this, all the four continents are identical. Therefore, the Vairocanasamādhi-sūtra, where the World-Honoured One expounded for the Bodhisattva Dharmamati, states: 'There are four kinds of meals: morning is the eating time for gods; noon is the eating time of the Dharma; dusk is the eating time for beasts; night is the eating time for spirits and ghosts. The Buddha severed the causes of the six destinies to make them identical to the Buddhas of the three periods of time; therefore, the noon hour is the Dharma eating time.' After this, it is identical to the lower destinies and is not the superior eating time; therefore it is called the improper time. The Daśabhāṇavāra-vinaya states: 'Only the gods may eat past noon without committing an offense.' > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 42.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.42.19) - [Next: 42.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.42.21) - [Up: 42](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.42) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122~en-mt.42.20) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [諸經要集](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.5.72) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.42.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.42.20) · Pramāṇa