BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Buddhist Monastic Code 1Other kinds of fruit, though, such as those with numerous seeds (such as tomatoesand blackberries) or whose seeds would be difficult to remove undamaged (such asgrapes) must be damaged by fire, a knife, or a fingernail before a bhikkhu may eatthem. The Commentary's description of how to do this shows that the damagingneed only be symbolic: An unordained person draws a hot object or a knife acrossthe skin of the fruit, or pokes it with a fingernail, saying "allowable" (kappiyaṃ)either while doing the damaging or immediately afterward. The Sub-commentarynotes that the word for "allowable" may be stated in any language.If a heap of fruit, such as grapes, is brought to a bhikkhu, he should say, "Make itallowable," (Kappiyaṃ karohi,) either to the donor or to any other unordained personwho knows how. The unordained person need only make one of the grapesallowable in line with the above procedures for the entire heap to be consideredallowable, although he/she should not remove the grape from the heap while doingso.The Sub-commentary claims that the ceremony of making fruit allowable mustalways be performed in the presence of a bhikkhu, but the Commentary mentionsthis factor only in connection with this last case — making an entire heap of fruitallowable by "damaging" only one piece — and not in its basic description of howthe procedure is done.In Communities that follow the Sub-commentary, the custom is as follows: When adonor brings grapes, tomatoes, or similar fruit to a bhikkhu, the bhikkhu says,"Kappiyaṃ karohi (Make it allowable)." The donor damages the fruit in any of thethree specified ways and says, "Kappiyaṃ bhante (It is allowable, venerable sir),"while doing the damaging, and then presents the fruit to the bhikkhu.In Communities that do not follow the Sub-commentary, the donor may perform theact of damaging the fruit beforehand and simply inform the bhikkhu that the fruit hasbeen made allowable when presenting it to him. In either case, the act of making aheap of fruit allowable by damaging only one piece must be done in the presenceof a bhikkhu. And we should note again that seedless fruit or fruit whose seeds maybe removed entirely from the flesh of the fruit are allowable in and of themselves,and do not have to go through any procedure before a bhikkhu may accept and eatthem.The two passages in the Mahāvagga and Cullavagga that we have been discussingdeal specifically only with fruit, but the Commentary extrapolates from them to saythat the same conditions apply to other forms of bījagāma, such as sugar cane andbean sprouts as well.Non-offenses. There is no offense for a bhikkhu who cuts a living plant —unknowingly — e.g., thinking it to be dead,unthinkingly — e.g., absent-mindedly pulling grass while talking withsomeone, or266