Akaranga Sutra 14Book II, Lecture 6: Begging For a Bowl
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Jainism · Agamas
Akaranga Sutra 14
Book II, Lecture 6: Begging For a Bowl
JacobiEnglish
A monk or a nun wanting to get a bowl, may beg for one made of bottle-gourd or wood or clay, or such-like bowls. If he be a youthful, young, &c. (see II, 5, 1, section 1) monk, he may carry with him one bowl, not two.
A monk or a nun should not resolve to go farther than half a Yogana to get a bowl.
As regards the acceptance of a bowl, those four precepts which have been given in (the First Lesson of the First Lecture, called) Begging of Food, concerning one fellow-ascetic, &c., should be repeated here, the fifth is that concerning many Sramanas and Brahmanas.
A monk or a nun should not accept a bowl which the layman has, for the mendicant's sake, bought, &c. (see the Lecture called Begging of Clothes). (I )
A monk or a nun should not accept any very expensive bowls of the following description: bowls made of iron, tin, lead, silver, gold, brass, a mixture of
gold, silver, and copper, pearl, glass, mother of pearl, horn, ivory, cloth, stone, or leather; for such very expensive bowls are impure and unacceptable.
A monk or a nun should not accept bowls which contain a band of the same precious materials specialised in section 2; for &c.
For the avoidance of these occasions to sin there are four rules for begging a bowl to be known by the mendicants.
Now this is the first rule:
A monk or a nun may beg for a bowl specifying its quality, viz. bottle-gourd or wood or clay. If they beg for such a bowl, or the householder gives it, they may accept it, for it is pure and acceptable.
This is the first rule.
Now follows the second rule:
A monk or a nun may ask for a bowl, which they have well inspected, from the householder or his wife, &c. After consideration, they should say: 'O long-lived one! (or, O sister!) please give me one of these bowls, viz. one made of bottle-gourds or wood or clay.' If they beg for such a bowl, or the householder gives it, they may accept it; for &c.
This is the second rule.
Now follows the third rule:
A monk or a nun may beg for a bowl which has been used by the former owner or by many people. If they beg for it, &c. (see section 5).
This is the third rule.
Now follows the fourth rule:
A monk or a nun may beg for a left-off bowl which no other Sramana or Brahmana, guest, pauper, or beggar wants. If they beg for it, &c. (see section 5).
This is the fourth rule.
A monk or a nun having adopted one of these four rules should not say, &c. (see II, 1, t r, section 12, all down to) we respect each other accordingly.
A householder may perhaps say to a mendicant begging in the prescribed way: 'O long-lived Sramana! return after a month,' &c. (all as in the Lecture called Begging of Clothes).
The householder may say (to one of his people): 'O long-lived one! (or, O sister!) fetch that bowl, rub it with oil, ghee, fresh butter or marrow, we shall give it,' &c. (see II, 5, 1, section 11); or wash, wipe, or rub it with perfumes,' &c.; or 'wash it with cold or hot water;' or 'empty it of the bulbs,' &c. (see II, 5, 1, sections 11 and 12).
The householder may say (to the mendicant): 'O long-lived Sramana! stay a while till they have cooked or prepared our food, &c., then we shall give you, O long-lived one! your alms-bowl filled with food or drink; it is not good, not meet that a mendicant should get an empty alms-bowl.' After consideration, the mendicant should answer: 'O long-lived one! (or, O sister!) it is indeed not meet for me to eat or drink food &c. which is adhakarmika; do not cook or prepare it; if you want to give me anything, give it as it is.' After these words the householder might offer him the alms-bowl filled with food or drink which had been cooked or prepared: he should not accept such an alms-bowl, for it is impure and unacceptable.
Perhaps the householder will bring and give the mendicant an alms-bowl; the mendicant should then, after consideration, say: 'O long-lived one! (or, O
sister!) I shall in your presence closely inspect the interior of the bowl.'
The Kevalin says: This is the reason: In the alms-bowl there might be living beings or seeds or grass. Hence it has been said to the mendicant, &c., that he should closely inspect the interior of the alms-bowl.
All that has been said in the Lecture called Begging of Clothes (II, 5, I, section 15 down to the end) is mutatis mutandis to be repeated here. (In section 15, add before perfumes) with oil, ghee, butter or marrow.
This is the whole duty, &c.
Thus I say.
A monk or a nun, entering the abode of a householder for the sake of alms, should after examining their alms-bowl, taking out any living beings, and wiping off the dust, circumspectly enter or leave the householder's abode.
The Kevalin says: This is the reason: Living beings, seeds or dust might fall into his bowl. Hence it has been said to the mendicant, &c., that he should after examining his alms-bowl, taking out any living beings, circumspectly enter or leave the householder's abode.
On such an occasion the householder might perhaps, going in the house, fill the alms-bowl with cold water and, returning, offer it him; (the mendicant) should not accept such an alms-bowl either in
the householder's hand or his vessel; for it is impure and unacceptable.
Perhaps he has, inadvertently, accepted it; then he should empty it again in (the householder's) water-pot; or (on his objecting to it) he should put down the bowl and the water somewhere, or empty it in some wet place.
A monk or a nun should not wipe or rub a wet or moist alms-bowl. But when they perceive that on their alms-bowl the water has dried up and the moisture is gone, then they may circumspectly wipe or rub it.
A monk or a nun wanting to enter the abode of a householder, should enter or leave it, for the sake of alms, with their bowl; also on going to the out-of-door place for religious practices or study; or on wandering from village to village.
If a strong and widely spread rain pours down, they should take the same care of their alms-bowl as is prescribed for clothes (in the preceding Lecture, Lesson 2, section 1).
This is the whole duty, &c.
Thus I say.
End of the Sixth Lecture, called Begging for a Bowl.
