律戒本疏 1.89

1.89

三十六別眾食除因緣因緣者病時乃至沙門施食時　調達將欲壞僧。學五神通種種變化。國主傾心。合境歸向。供養悉全多。以衣食與諸比丘。新學淺識。隨利而去。因是不聽別眾而食。為壞惡眾勢力。不令破僧故。令諸白衣於眾僧福田得大功德故。令眾和悅心無二故。凡有三種界。羯磨界聚落界空地界。若比丘若白衣於羯磨界內。若寺中若白衣舍。別請四人異房一處共食。是名別眾食。食者犯墮。若清眾中一人。若迸少許與眾。若與僧須一人施主。通供界內僧。而處處別與食。食者悉無犯。若聚落界內二施主。各於一處飯眾。眾各四人。亦名別眾食。食者犯墮。聚落界內一施作異食飯二眾。食者得突。不犯別眾食。二處更互請。眾中一人無犯。又上二界內二眾食時。各三人食竟。後一人食。無犯。若界內師徒四人共財共食。是非法不名別眾食。病人別眾食無犯。若作衣妨乞食。乞食妨作衣故。作衣時別眾食無罪。以三衣不足犯突。又妨行道故持聽也。行道疲極故。或恐失時故。或求好伴難得故。或恐失伴畏日沒來。去二十里得聽。村界內別眾食無犯。明欲行令得食。昨以來今亦不得。若欲及船恐有諸難。或以疲極別眾食無犯。大眾會時者。謂上至千萬。下至八人。聽法因緣。一時大集世既不豐。人眾殷并應作是言。今時儉眾殷飯食難得。如乞食者別眾無犯。又僧有客舊。舊四人客三人。舊得別眾食。舊是根本僧故。客四舊三。客不得別眾食。請舊僧一人。沙門是外道出家者也。出家婆羅門是洴沙王甥。以王事佛故欲請比丘。比丘以結戒故不敢輒受。佛為破外道憍慢故。開聽受請不犯。別眾然自來請。不自下食。受請時無犯。食時犯墮。不自請自下食。受請時犯突。食時無犯。不自請不自下食。受請時犯突。食時犯墮。自請自下食無犯也。

Thirty-six: Eating in a separate group, except on [valid] occasions—the occasions being times of illness and up to when a śramaṇa provides a meal. Devadatta, wishing to disrupt the Saṃgha, learned the five supernormal knowledges and various magical transformations. The ruler of the country was won over, and the entire territory turned to him in allegiance. His offerings were complete and plentiful, and he gave robes and food to the monks. New learners of shallow understanding followed after the material gain and went away [with him]. For this reason, [the Buddha] did not allow eating in a separate group—in order to destroy the power of evil factions, to prevent the disruption of the Saṃgha, to enable laypeople to obtain great merit in the field of merit of the Saṃgha, and to make the assembly harmonious and joyful with single-mindedness. In general, there are three kinds of boundaries: the boundary of karmic acts (karmasīmā), the boundary of a village (grāmasīmā), and the boundary of open ground (araṇyasīmā). If a monk or a layperson, within a karmic boundary, whether in a monastery or in a layperson's house, separately invites four persons to a different room to eat together in one place, this is called eating in a separate group; one who eats commits an offense of pāyattika. If one is from the pure assembly, or if one sets aside a little to give to the assembly, or if the donor needs one person from the Saṃgha to make a general offering to the monks within the boundary, yet serves food in different places separately, those who eat all commit no offense. If within a village boundary two donors each feed a group in one place, with each group consisting of four persons, this is also called eating in a separate group; those who eat commit an offense of pāyattika. If within a village boundary one donor makes different foods to feed two groups, those who eat incur a duṣkṛta, but do not violate [the rule against] eating in a separate group. If the two places take turns inviting [the monks], and there is one person among the assembly [who goes], there is no offense. Furthermore, within the above two boundaries, when two groups are eating, if three persons in each have finished eating and then the remaining one person eats, there is no offense. If within the boundary a master and disciples, four persons in total, share wealth and share food, this is contrary to the Dharma, but is not called eating in a separate group. A sick person eating in a separate group commits no offense. If making robes interferes with begging for food, and begging for food interferes with making robes, therefore when making robes eating in a separate group is without offense. [If] lacking the three robes, one incurs a duṣkṛta, and it also hinders the practice of the Path; therefore it is permitted. Because walking the path brings extreme exhaustion, or for fear of missing the proper time, or because seeking a good companion is difficult, or for fear of losing one's companion and dreading the arrival of sunset, if one travels twenty li it is permitted; eating in a separate group within the village boundary is without offense. If one wishes to set out tomorrow, so that one may obtain food—having obtained nothing since yesterday up to today—or if wishing to catch a boat and fearing various perils, or on account of extreme exhaustion, eating in a separate group is without offense. 'A time of a great assembly' means from ten million down to eight persons gathering in a great assembly at one time on the occasion of listening to the Dharma. When the world is not abundant and the crowd of people is dense and pressed together, one should say: 'Now the times are scarce, the crowd is dense, and food and drink are hard to obtain.' If begging for food [under such conditions], [eating in] a separate group is without offense. Furthermore, the Saṃgha has visiting monks and resident monks. If there are four resident monks and three visiting monks, the resident monks may eat in a separate group, because the resident monks are the root Saṃgha. If there are four visiting monks and three resident monks, the visiting monks may not eat in a separate group; they should invite one resident monk. 'Śramaṇa' refers to those who have gone forth in non-Buddhist traditions. A brāhmaṇa who had gone forth was the nephew of King Bimbisāra. Because the king served the Buddha, he wished to invite the monks. The monks, because the precept had been laid down, did not dare to accept outright. In order to break the arrogance of the non-Buddhists, the Buddha permitted accepting the invitation without offense. As for a separate group: if they themselves come to invite, but do not themselves serve the food, at the time of accepting the invitation there is no offense, but at the time of eating one commits an offense of pāyattika. If they do not themselves invite, but themselves serve the food, at the time of accepting the invitation one incurs a duṣkṛta, and at the time of eating there is no offense. If they neither themselves invite nor themselves serve the food, at the time of accepting the invitation one incurs a duṣkṛta, and at the time of eating one commits an offense of pāyattika. If they themselves invite and themselves serve the food, there is no offense.