Origin story

At one time the Buddha was staying in the Sakyan country at Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. At that time Mahānāma the Sakyan had an abundance of medicine. He approached the Master, bowed down to him, sat down to one side, and said, “Venerable Sir, I wish to invite the Order to ask for medicines from me for four months.”

“Good, good, Mahānāma. Please do so.”

But the monks were afraid of wrongdoing and did not accept. They told the Master. … “Monks, I allow you to accept an invitation to supply medicines for four months.”

Yet the monks only asked Mahānāma for a small amount of medicine, and so he still had an abundance. A second time he went to the Master, bowed down to him, sat down to one side, and said, “Venerable Sir, I wish to invite the Order to ask for medicines from me for a further four months.”

“Good, good, Mahānāma. Please do so.”

Again the monks were afraid of wrongdoing and did not accept. They told the Master. … “Monks, I allow you to accept a further invitation.”

Once again the monks only asked Mahānāma for a small amount of medicines, and so he still had an abundance. A third time he went to the Master, bowed down to him, sat down to one side, and said, “Venerable Sir, I wish to invite the Order to ask for medicines from me for life.”

“Good, good, Mahānāma. Please do so.”

Yet again the monks were afraid of wrongdoing and did not accept. They told the Master. … “Monks, I allow you to accept a permanent invitation.”

At that time the monks from the group of six were shabbily dressed and improper in appearance. And Mahānāma criticized them, “Venerables, why are you shabbily dressed and improper in appearance? Shouldn’t one gone forth be suitably dressed and proper in appearance?”

The monks from the group of six developed a grudge against Mahānāma. Thinking of ways to humiliate him, it occurred to them, “Mahānāma has invited the Order to ask for medicines. Let’s ask him for ghee.”

They then went to Mahānāma and said, One doṇa measure of ghee. According ACMC, p.18, one doṇa is equivalent to 64 handfuls. It may well be that this amounts to more than one liter, but given the uncertainty one liter seems like a suitably round number.“We need a liter of ghee.”

“Venerables, please wait until tomorrow. People have gone to the cow-pen to get ghee. You may come and get it tomorrow morning.”

A second time and a third time the monks from the group of six said the same thing, and Mahānāma replied as before. They then said, “Why do you give an invitation if you don’t wish to give?”

Mahānāma complained and criticized them, “How can they not wait for one day when asked?”

The monks heard the complaints of Mahānāma, and the monks of few desires … complained and criticized those monks, “How can the monks from the group of six not wait for one day when asked by Mahānāma?” … “Is it true, monks, that you acted like this?”

“It’s true, Master.”

The Buddha rebuked them, “… Foolish men, how can you not wait for one day when asked by Mahānāma? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

Final ruling

‘A monk who is not sick may accept an invitation to ask for requisites for four months. If he accepts one beyond that limit, unless it is a further invitation or a permanent invitation, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Definitions

A monk who is not sick may accept an invitation to ask for requisites for four months: he may accept an invitation to ask for requisites for the sick.

He may accept a further invitation: he should think, “When I’m sick, then I’ll ask.”

He may accept a permanent invitation: he should think, “When I’m sick, then I’ll ask.”

If he accepts one beyond that limit: there are invitations that have a limit on the medicines, but no limit on the time period; there are invitations that have a limit on the time period, but no limit on the medicines; there are invitations that have a limit on both the medicines and the time period; there are invitations that neither have a limit on the medicines nor on the time period.

Limit on the medicines: the medicines are restricted: “I invite you to ask for these particular medicines.” Limit on the time period: the time period is restricted: “I invite you to ask during this particular period of time.” Limit on both the medicines and the time period: both the medicines and the time period are restricted: “I invite you to ask for these particular medicines during this particular period of time.” Neither a limit on the medicines nor on the time period: neither the medicines nor the time period is restricted.

When there is a limit on the medicines, if he asks for medicines other than those he has been invited to ask for, he commits an offense entailing confession. When there is a limit on the period of time, if he asks outside of the period during which he has been invited to ask, he commits an offense entailing confession. When there is a limit on both the medicines and on the period of time, if he asks for medicines other than those he has been invited to ask for and he asks outside of the period during which he has been invited to ask, he commits an offense entailing confession. When there is a limit neither on the medicines nor on the period of time, there is no offense.

If he asks for medicine when he has no need for medicine, he commits an offense entailing confession. If he asks for a medicine other than the medicine he needs, he commits an offense entailing confession.

Permutations

If it is beyond the limit, and he perceives it as beyond the limit, and he asks for medicine, he commits an offense entailing confession. If it is beyond the limit, but he is unsure if it is, and he asks for medicine, he commits an offense entailing confession. If it is beyond the limit, but he does not perceive it as beyond the limit, and he asks for medicine, he commits an offense entailing confession.

If it is not beyond the limit, but he perceives it as beyond the limit, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not beyond the limit, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not beyond the limit, and he does not perceive it as beyond the limit, there is no offense.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if he asks for those medicines he was invited to ask for; if he asks during the time period that he was invited to ask; if he asks by informing, “You have invited me to ask for these medicines, but I need such-and-such a medicine;” if he asks by informing, “The time period during which you invited me to ask has passed, but I need medicine;” if it is from relatives; if it is from those who have given an invitation; if it is for the benefit of someone else; if it is by means of his own property; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

The seventh rule, the training rule on Mahānāma, is finished.