Buddha: His Life, his Doctrine, his Order c10.84

c10.84

In the village itself, or in a town, the monk is not permitted to reside except in cases of urgent necessity, nor even as much as to set foot in them between noon and the appearance of dawn on the following day.† But he is tied to the neighbourhood of village and town by the necessity of supporting life. Even he, who has taken a vow to live in the forest, lives just near enough to the village to be able to reach it on his begging excursion.* Carrying in his hands the bowl, in which he places the food handed to him, he is to go from house to house, whether believers dwell in them or unbelievers; only he is to pass by the houses of poor people, of whom the Order know that they would give the begging monks food beyond what they could afford, and would then themselves to suffer hunger. Enveloped in his overall, with downcast look, without bustle, and in neither hasty nor careless fashion, the monk is to enter the houses. He is to stand too near nor too far off, he is not to stay too long nor to go away too quickly. He is to wait in silence, until something is given to him; then he is to hold out his bowl, and, without looking at the face of the giver, receive what she gives him. Then he spreads his overall over the almsbowl, and goes slowly on. “When they leave the village,” says an old poem,* “they look back on nothing. Without looking round they walk about; therefore dear to me are the monks.” When the monk has returned from the begging excursion, there follows about midday the hour for eating, the one meal in the whole day. “The monk,” it is said in the confessional formula, “who at an improper time† takes or enjoys hard or soft food, is liable to punishment.” The meal consists chiefly, as Indian custom requires, of bread and rice, with which water is drunk. The enjoyment of flesh and fish is limited; spirituous liquors are most strictly forbidden.