Stored food?

[alexYaYy]

In Myanmar ,for the Morning meal, they sometimes reheat or mix the leftover food from the day before. But is this in conflict with the stored food rule in Buddhism? By the way why do we have to choose 2 or 4 noble truths when we register our accounts? (I just joined )

[DNS]

In Myanmar ,for the Morning meal, they sometimes reheat or mix the leftover food from the day before. But is this in conflict with the stored food rule in Buddhism? By the way why do we have to choose 2 or 4 noble truths when we register our accounts? (I just joined )

Yes, I think that is a violation of the no stored food rule, but yet, it is a common practice in many monasteries.

You have to identify the number of Noble Truths to help prevent bots from registering. Bots often register on forums just for spamming.

[alexYaYy]

In Myanmar ,for the Morning meal, they sometimes reheat or mix the leftover food from the day before. But is this in conflict with the stored food rule in Buddhism? By the way why do we have to choose 2 or 4 noble truths when we register our accounts? (I just joined )

Yes, I think that is a violation of the no stored food rule, but yet, it is a common practice in many monasteries.

You have to identify the number of Noble Truths to help prevent bots from registering. Bots often register on forums just for spamming.

If so, do you think that the monasteries that do this are in the wrong?

[DNS]

If so, do you think that the monasteries that do this are in the wrong?

Speaking just for myself, not as any authority for Theravada or on behalf of Theravadins; I don't think it is wrong. It is good to save food and not waste it, in my opinion. Yes, there is a rule, but in the 6th century BCE there were no refrigerators or freezers. I know it's also about not hoarding or accumulating things, but I think the better purpose of not wasting food trumps the rule, imo.

[Rahula]

If all monks could follow Buddhas example of Pindapatha, none of these issues would arise at first place. I don't think Buddha would advise using refrigerators and freezers even if it was available at that time.

But,
We live in a word of Buts and Ifs.

[justindesilva]

If all monks could follow Buddhas example of Pindapatha, none of these issues would arise at first place. I don't think Buddha would advise using refrigerators and freezers even if it was available at that time.

But,
We live in a word of Buts and Ifs.

Lord budda advised his desciple monks to go on pindapatha. But it is clear during rainy season these monks remained in their lodgings and fed only on dana donated by villagers. These monks were advised so to escape from the jaina followers lest they would be trampling springing plants.
Lord buddas vinaya rules were laid to suit the situations.

[DNS]

Lord budda advised his desciple monks to go on pindapatha. But it is clear during rainy season these monks remained in their lodgings and fed only on dana donated by villagers. These monks were advised so to escape from the jaina followers lest they would be trampling springing plants.
Lord buddas vinaya rules were laid to suit the situations.

That's right, good point that the Buddha also adjusted rules as needed due to time, place, culture.

There is a temple here in my city where they have a calendar and families write their names on various days for notifying everyone that they will take care of the lunch dana on that day. Often there are several days (about 4 to 10 per month) in the month where there is no family name mentioned, so the monks store food in the refrigerator and freezer to have some food available on those days when no family is available to make lunch dana.

[mjaviem]

Can't monks hold a few days without eating? Do they need to have control over their food supply using fridges?

Of course I wish they always have proper and tasty food. But I thought they would live more dependent to the laypeople. I guess it's because this is not practical in non-buddhist countries, am I right?

[form]

IMO we need to adapt with time while practicing the wisdom of the Buddha. Perhaps, get some laypeople to store and reheat the left over food. If not, it is still not good to waste food

[form]

Can't monks hold a few days without eating? Do they need to have control over their food supply using fridges?

Of course I wish they always have proper and tasty food. But I thought they would live more dependent to the laypeople. I guess it's because this is not practical in non-buddhist countries, am I right?

I think only meditative monk can eat very little. Those that move about a lot will be hungry during mealtime.

[Dhammanando]

In Myanmar ,for the Morning meal, they sometimes reheat or mix the leftover food from the day before. But is this in conflict with the stored food rule in Buddhism?

Not necessarily. If it's nuns or laypeople who store the food, and if they do so on their own initiative and not because bhikkhus have issued orders or dropped hints to this effect, and if the place of storage is somewhere other than the bhikkhus' rooms, and if it's the nuns or laypeople who reheat the food and offer it to the bhikkhus the next day, then the food would be allowable.

[Eko Care]

In Myanmar ,for the Morning meal, they sometimes reheat or mix the leftover food from the day before. But is this in conflict with the stored food rule in Buddhism?

Not necessarily. If it's nuns or laypeople who store the food, and if they do so on their own initiative and not because bhikkhus have issued orders or dropped hints to this effect, and if the place of storage is somewhere other than the bhikkhus' rooms, and if it's the nuns or laypeople who reheat the food and offer it to the bhikkhus the next day, then the food would be allowable.

I think Samaneras also allowed to store food and offer to the High-ordained-bikkhus next day.

[Dhammanando]

I think Samaneras also allowed to store food and offer to the High-ordained-bikkhus next day.

Yes, it can be anyone except a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī.

[justindesilva]

I think Samaneras also allowed to store food and offer to the High-ordained-bikkhus next day.

Yes, it can be anyone except a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī.

May I know the difference in terming a monk in to samanera and or bikkhu. I think that there is a difference between a samanera and an upasampada bikku.

[Dhammanando]

May I know the difference in terming a monk in to samanera and or bikkhu. I think that there is a difference between a samanera and an upasampada bikku.

In terms of how they live, bhikkhus are expected to observe the 227 training rules of the Pātimokkha, along with the hundreds of supplementary rules in the Khandhakas; sāmaṇeras are only required to observe the ten precepts and the 75 sekhiya dhammas (rules that govern decorum in relation to walking, sitting, eating, etc.). A man has to be at least twenty to become a bhikkhu, but to become a sāmaṇera he only needs to be old enough to earn a living by scaring crows.

In Thailand and Burma the majority of sāmaṇeras are teenagers or boys and most of them will be ordained as bhikkhus as soon as they reach the age of twenty. In Sri Lanka, on the other hand, it's not uncommon for men to choose to remain sāmaṇeras all their lives, for one reason or another.

According to the Vinaya the Buddha introduced sāmaṇera-ship when his son Rāhula wanted to go forth into the homeless life. As the Buddha had already set twenty years as the minimum age for becoming a bhikkhu and Rāhula was still under twenty, the Buddha decided to introduce a new level of monastic life involving a less onerous training than that of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs.