Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c23.2

c23.2

**Regulations as to Food and Begging.** We shall now study the regulations of the Order regarding the primary wants of life. These wants had to be supplied from the proceeds of begging and the gifts of the laity. We may recall the ruling in regard to food for the newly ordained monk: "The religious life has morsels of food given in alms for its resource. Thus you must endeavour to live all your life. Meals given to the Saṁgha, to certain persons, invitations, food distributed by ticket, meals given each fortnight, each Uposatha day (i.e. the last day of each fortnight) or the first day of each fortnight are extra allowances" [*Mahāv.*, i, 30, 4]. The mode of the daily begging is prescribed. "When the time has been called in the Ārāma, a Bhikkhu should put on his waist cloth so as to cover himself all round from above the navel to below his knees, tie his belt round his waist, fold his upper robes and put them on, fasten the block on, wash his hands, take his alms-bowl, and then slowly and carefully proceed to the village. He is not to turn aside from the direct route and push on in front of senior Bhikkhus. He is to go amidst the houses properly clad, with his limbs under control, with downcast eye, with his robes not tucked up, not laughing, or speaking loudly, not swaying his body or his arms or his head about, not with his arms akimbo, or his robe pulled over his head, and without walking on his heels" [*Chullav.*, viii, 4, 3]. When he enters a dwelling, he should note carefully beforehand its entrance and exit. "He should not go in nor come out roughly. He should not stand too far off, nor too near, nor too long and should not turn back too easily. When food is being given to him he should lift up his robe (Saṁghāṭi) with his left hand so as to disclose his bowl, take the bowl in both his hands and receive the food into it without looking at the face of the giver if it is a woman. After the food has been given he should cover up the bowl with his robe and turn back slowly and carefully" [ib., viii, 5, 2].