Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c23.8

c23.8

**Begging of Food confined to approved Households.** As regards taking meals out of their Vihāras, the Bhikkhus must as individuals or in companies so conduct themselves as not to bring any discredit to the Order. A novice must be acquainted beforehand with the official declaration of the Order as regards lawful and unlawful resorts for alms and families in want. Seeking food uninvited at an approved household was forbidden [*Pāt.*, p. 57]. The approved household is defined as that which is rich in faith but poor in goods, whose liberality towards the Order lands it in want. A householder was officially declared as disapproved and disqualified by the Order formally passing as a body the Resolution of "turning the bowl down" in respect of him, after which he will be deprived of the privilege of having any intercourse with the Order by way of offering it food or lodging. The Saṁgha was to boycott him completely. This Resolution of boycott was applied against a layman found guilty of the following eight acts of hostility against the Order, viz. when he brings loss of gifts on the Bhikkhus, or harm to them, or causes them want of residence, or reviles and slanders them as also the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṁgha [*Chullav.*, v, 20, 3]. A boycott was declared against Vaḍḍha the Lichchhavi for having brought a groundless charge of a breach of morality against the Venerable Dabba the Mallian, and the Saṁgha turned the bowl down in respect of him by adopting a Resolution to that effect. The boycott was raised when the offender conducted himself aright, expressed penitence, and asked for the restoration of his former status. The Saṁgha then turned up the bowl as respects him by a special Resolution to that effect.