Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c23.13

c23.13

**Standing Invitations.** Sometimes a Bhikkhu might secure a permanent host and patron to give him the necessaries of life. Lest this should render his begging and its exertions unnecessary and thereby deprive him of a healthy educative and moral influence, it was laid down that he must not accept for a period exceeding four months such a standing invitation for food, clothing, shelter, and medicine [*Pāt.*, op. cit.]. Such standing invitations would sometimes be extended to the entire fraternity. We read of "an arrangement made at Rājagaha that the Bhikkhus were to receive excellent meals successively in the houses of different rich Upāsakas" and the sight of their felicity tempts a Brahman to join the Order "for his belly's sake" [*Mahāv.*, i, 30, 1]. We are also told how "at Vesālī a regular service of sweet food had been established, the laity taking the duty in turns" [*Chullav.*, v, 14, 1]. We also read of a householder possessed of good food giving "a perpetual alms to the Saṁgha, a meal for four Bhikkhus". "He with his wife and children used to stand at the place of alms and serve; and offer to some Bhikkhus boiled rice, and to some congey, and to some oil, and to some dainty bits" [ib., iv, 4, 6].