四分戒本疏卷第一．第二．第三 3.68

3.68

“If a monk eats in a separate group, except at the permitted times, it is a prāyaścittika. The permitted times are: a time of illness, a time of making robes, a time of bestowing robes, a time of journeying on the road, a time of boarding a boat, a time when a great assembly gathers, and a time when a śramaṇa provides food; these are the permitted times.”

This complete Prātimokṣa text has four clauses: 1. The person who offends. 2. Eating in a separate group. 3. Exceptions. 4. The statement of the offense. Below, “the permitted times” recites the preceding third clause. 1. “If a monk”: the meaning is as explained above. 2. “Eats in a separate group”: The Vinaya says that four persons or more than four persons is called a group. “Eating” refers to boiled rice, parched barley meal, dried rice, and so forth. Clauses 3 and 4 are understandable. “The permitted times” recites the preceding third [clause of] exceptions. “A time of illness, a time of making robes, a time of bestowing robes”: these three conditions are as explained in the preceding precept. Fourth, “a time of journeying on the road”: The Vinaya states that if one travels back and forth at least half a yojana, the Buddha permits eating separately. Fifth, “a time of boarding a boat”: when one travels up or down [a river] by boat for at least half a yojana, that is it. Sixth, “a time when a great assembly gathers”: eight persons or more is called a great assembly. If there is no faithful donation of food, and it is also difficult to obtain [food] for eight, an exception is made so that it is not an offense. As for a smaller group below this, although food is difficult to obtain, there is capacity to assist one another, so it is also not permitted. Furthermore, “a great assembly” means four persons or more is called a great assembly. Thus the Vinaya says: “If food is sufficient for four persons, having one extra person causes distress, up to having one extra person among a hundred causes distress.” This refers to a village with two households: the eastern household is limited to giving to four persons, and the western household is restricted to giving to one person. The giving intention of each of the two households is limited and restricted, not blending with the other, and begging for food elsewhere is also difficult. If this were not permitted, the one person at the western house would cause distress to the four persons at the eastern house. Because of this distress, an exception is made so that it is not an offense. This means that raising the distress allows an exception for that which is not distress. In this way, up to one extra person among a hundred causing distress: whenever food is difficult to obtain, none of it is an offense. Therefore it is said, “a time when a great assembly gathers.” Seventh, “a time when a śramaṇa provides food”: The Vinaya states that those who have gone forth among non-Buddhist traditions are called śramaṇas. The circumstances of donating food are as explained extensively in the Vinaya. According to this, when a monk provides food, an exception is not made for eating in a separate group. The Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya states: “If a monk has no circumstance for eating in a separate group, he should say, ‘I have no circumstance for this separate-group meal; I should seek to leave.’ If there are two or three persons, they may eat as they please. If there are four persons, they should form two groups and take turns entering to eat.” The Vinaya says: “To restrain difficult-to-train persons, eating in a separate group is not permitted by the sage.” If according to the Sarvāstivāda-vinaya-vibhāṣā, not gathering within the boundary is also called a separate group. If one establishes the four marks, when a visiting monk arrives and one blocks him and does not allow him to enter, this is also a separate group. If one does not proceed according to the monastic seniority assignment, it is called a separate group. If one is separately invited first and later does not block others from entering, it turns into a separate designation. Next, other meanings are explained extensively in the commentary. The Vinaya says: “There is no offense”: eating under the above seven exceptions is without fault. The Sarvāstivāda-vinaya-vibhāṣā [says]: If four persons each beg for food separately and [eat] together in one place, there is also no fault, because it is not from a single household. The Samantapāsādikā says: 1. If people each beg separately, arrive at the same place, and receive [the food] at the same time, all commit an offense. 2. If each goes separately, receives at the same time, and eats in separate places, they commit a minor offense. 3. If each goes separately, each receives separately, and each eats separately, there is no offense. 4. If one person covers his bowl and does not eat, waiting until the other three finish eating, and then this one person eats, there is no offense. The Sarvāstivāda-vinaya-vibhāṣā [says]: Three monks and one who is deranged; three persons inside and one outside the boundary; three fully ordained monks and one śrāmaṇera—none of these commit an offense, as they do not constitute a separate group, since they do not complete the required number together. Furthermore, there are four propositions: 1. The food host is one, and everyone gathers completely: no fault. 2. Eating in one place, but [the groups] are two, each being different: therefore no offense. 3. Eating in separate places, but [the host] is one, eating before and after: therefore no offense. 4. Eating in separate places and [the hosts] are separate, the two groups each inviting one person: no offense. The Samantapāsādikā [gives] five kinds of making up four that do not constitute an offense: 1. Making up four without an invitation: A donor separately invites four persons, and one person does not go; the donor sees there are fewer, and around midday sees a monk, immediately calling him and giving him food; because the invitation makes no distinction, it is called monastic seniority. 2. Making up four by begging food: Likewise, because one person of a separate invitation does not go, around midday a monk begging for food arrives there, and is given food in sequence. 3. A śrāmaṇera making up four. 4. A bowl making up four: Separately inviting four persons, three persons arrive in body and one sends a bowl. 5. A sick person making up four: Derangement and other illnesses do not constitute eating in a separate group. None of these is an offense.