Pindapata in Detail

Pindapata, is the practice of collecting alms food, as observed by Theravada Buddhist monks who have gone forth from ‘home life’ to ‘homelessness.’ A Buddhist monk is known in Pali language as ‘bhihkku’ – meaning ‘one who lives on alms’and monks living on alms should review himself whether worthy of alms food. Since the time of the Buddha, lay people have been supporting them with food, robes, shelter and medicine. The act of alms giving assists in connecting the human to the monks. In return, monks provide guidance to the laity on Buddhist teachings, thus forging a close, respectful and symbiotic relationship between the two communities.

When the Bodhisatta Prince Siddhatta renounced the world to be a recluse Ghatrikara Brahama brought the eight requisites for his old friend, the Bodhisatta Prince, an alms bowl among them. The Bodhisatta after spending seven full days in ascetic bliss in the nearby mango grove called Anupiya, travelled a journey of thirty yojanas on foot in one single day on foot and entered the city of Rajagaha. He went round and collected food just enough for his sustenance. The food, which he received, included all kinds of eatables, course and fine of various colours mixed up together. Thereafter he sat facing east at the entrance of the cave on the mountain and tried to eat the mixed meal of course and fine food he had received.  As he was about to put the morsel into his mouth, he felt miserable and almost vomited with the intestines turning upside down, for he had never seen such kind of food in his life and found it particularly disgusting. Then he admonished himself by saying: “You, Siddhatta, in spite of the fact that you have been reigning supreme in a palace where food and drinks are available at your pleasure and where you have meals of three-year-old seasoned fragrant rice with different delicacies whenever you like, you, on seeing a recluse in robe of rags contemplated: “When shall I eat the meals obtained by going on alms-round from house to house after becoming a recluse like him? When will the time come for me to live on meals thus collected?”  And have you not renounced the world and become a recluse with such thoughts?  Now that your dream had come true, why do you change your mind?”  Then without the slightest revulsion, he took the meal that was so rough. 

When Lord Buddha after His enlightenment visited his home town of Kapilavatthu and was not invited by King Suddhodana for house dana he went on alms round. When the King learnt of it, he rushed out of the palace to see Lord Buddha and stood in front of Him and made this remarks: “Most Exalted One, why do you put us to shame by going around for alms-food? Do you think that enough food for such a large number as twenty thousand arahats cannot be provided by your royal father?”  The Buddha said in reply: “Royal father, such a practice of receiving alms from door to door is the precedence set by an unbroken line of we Buddhas.”  King Suddhodana replied in these words: “My son, we are descents of the Khattiya lineage, great elected rulers I unbroken succession from the beginning of the world cycle? And all along this line of great Khattiya rulers, there was never one who went around begging for alms.”  The Buddha then made this reply: “O Royal father, the lineage of Khattiya rulers is your linage; my ancestors are the Buddhas, in successive order of the Buddavamsa from Dipankara, Kondanna, Mangala down to Kassapa. Beginning with Dipankara and ending with Kassapa, my preceding elder brethren Buddhas, twenty-four in number, and with all the thousands of Buddhas as many as sands of the Ganges, had always gone to each successive house to receive alms. This very practice of receiving alms from one door to the next had always been our means of livelihood.  (Mahabuddhavamsa, The Great Chronicle of Buddhas).

Daily Almsround Observance - Pindapata

The daily alms round practiced by Palelai Buddhist Temple's monks in Singapore was started with the intention of educating the public regarding the Theravada Buddhist tradition's monastic way of living and of the mutual support between monastics and lay supporters.

The monk does not speak unless spoken to, silence being considered a part of the training during one's round. Nor does he look here and there but keeps his eyes directed to the ground in front of him; by so doing he practices restraint of the eye (cakkhusamvara). Lastly, whether his round takes ten minutes or two hours, he does not rush along as though anxious to get over it and be done with it. The well-trained bhikkhu walks with mindfulness, steadily and dignified. We remember that it was the noble bearing and restraint of the Venerable Assaji, one of Lord Buddha's first five disciples, that deeply impressed Upatissa, who shortly after become known as Venerable Sariputta, the foremost among Lord Buddha's disciples.

If a bhikkhu practices meditation, he will strive to keep his subject of meditation in mind while both going and coming. It is related that the Venerable Sariputta developed access concentration in the practice of loving-kindness (metta-bhavana) while walking for food-collection. As some bhikkhus are engaged in the practice of the study (gantha dhura), rather than meditation, they frequently take with them a passage of the Pali scriptures written upon a small piece of paper and mentally recite this while walking.
- "The Blessings of Pindapata", by Bhikkhu Khantipalo. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/khantipalo/wheel073.html .

The Spirit of Giving

"To give" opens the heart and is manifestly opposed to the worldly way "to get." The latter is linked to attachment, while the former is generosity and close to renunciation. Thus thanks for giving lie in the very act itself and the householder is happy that the bhikkhu has given him the opportunity to give.

The merit which one "gets" from giving is really not a "possession" which ensures a good birth in the future, etc., but a change in heart, a raising in the level of skillful consciousness so that one performs and rejoices in performing skillful acts.

"The Blessings of Pindapata", by Bhikkhu Khantipalo. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/khantipalo/wheel073.html .

Background on this practice and monks conduct

Alms food collection and consumption is a duty of the Theravada Buddhist monk and this is enshrined in the ordination procedure of the monk. As part of the ordination procedure, every newly ordained Theravada Buddhist monk will be given the following admonishment by his preceptor: "Going-Forth has alms-food as its support. For the rest of your life you are to endeavor at that."

Moreover, the alms food collection observance is dated back to the Buddha's time as can be seen from the Pindapataparisuddhi Sutta (Sutta 151 of the Majjhima Nikaya - translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi). In this sutta, the Buddha was having a conversation with Venerable Sariputta and he said

"So, Sariputta, if a bhikkhu should wish: 'May I now often abide in voidness,' he should consider thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, or in the place where I wandered for alms, or on the path by which I returned from the almsround, was there any desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding forms cognizable by the eye? If, by so reviewing, he knows thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, or in the place where I wandered for alms, or on the path by which I returned from the almsround, there was desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding forms cognizable by the eye,' then he should make an effort to abandon those evil unwholesome states. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, and in the place where I wandered for alms, and on the path by which I returned from the almsround, there was no desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding forms cognizable by the eye,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states."

From this, we can clearly see that the alms food collection observance is indeed part and parcel of the Buddha's practice as the Buddha was pointing to what a monk should be mindful of while on his alms round.

The Vinaya rules (commonly known as the Monastic code of conduct) also stipulate how monks should conduct themselves while collecting alms. In the Sekhiya or rules of training, rules number 27 to 30 emphasizes a monk’s behavior when he is receiving alms food. These four rules are as follows:

27. I will receive almsfood appreciatively: a training to be observed.

28. I will receive almsfood with attention focused on the bowl: a training to be observed.

29. I will receive almsfood with bean curry in proper proportion: a training to be observed.

30. I will receive almsfood level with the edge (of the bowl): a training to be observed.

"Pinda-carika bhikkhunam vattam", a verse from the Vinaya rules, means going on (his) rounds for alms, is part of a monk's daily duty.

From the four Sekhiya rules and the verse quoted above, a monk should observe the practice of receiving food with the alms bowl thus further emphasizing the importance of monks carrying out the observance of receiving food with the alms bowl.

Genuine Theravada Buddhist monks only accept food offerings (not money)

"According to the Buddhist monastic code, monks and nuns are not allowed to accept money or even to engage in barter or trade with lay people. They live entirely in an economy of gifts. Lay supporters provide gifts of material requisites for the monastics, while the monastics provide their supporters with the gift of the teaching."
- "The Economy of Gifts", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 5 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/economy.html .


The mode of alms collection between alms food collecting monks from Palelai Buddhist Temple and monetary alms collectors (bogus monks) differ in their behaviour during their alms round. Alms food collecting monks from Palelai Buddhist Temple do not walk around in hawker centres during their alms collection. Instead, they stand still outside the hawker centres with the alms bowl covered with a lid until confirmation is given by a food donor through visual indication of intention to offer food. Upon completion of the food offering into the alms bowl (Pindapata – falling of alms food into the alms bowl), alms food collecting monks will then again cover the alms bowl with the lid till the next well wisher shows an indication to offer. This is in contrast to a bogus monk who walks inside hawker centres in Singapore with their alms bowl opened as they walk from table to table. They also approach the hawker centre patrons at the tables and lower their alms bowl as an indication to seek monetary donations from the patrons. Another distinct difference is that food collecting monks do not carry any Buddhist pendants, amulets, or any other items to be given as a form of repayment to the donors. By their conduct, monks from Palelai Buddhist Temple aim to educate Singaporeans on the right type of alms to be offered and how it is to be received by monks. This they do by providing real life examples through going for their daily alms rounds in the right manners as expected of an alms food collecting monk.

During the initial stage of starting this observance in Singapore by our monks, the alms round were carried out daily at hawker centres around the Bedok and Tampines area at one location a day at around 8.30am. Not long after we started this practice, the hawkers and residents of the areas we covered became aware of the alms round practice by Theravada Buddhist monks and they happily offered food and rations to our monks during their alms round.

Venerable Jinadatta mentioned that he will be persistent in carrying out his daily food alms rounds as this is a duty and observance of Theravada Buddhist monks. Being persistent in this practice also allows a platform for monks to interact with the devotees during the alms round and thus strengthen the relationship between the Buddhist community of monks and lay devotees.

Summary

Through these practices, we hope to educate our members and the public at large that genuine Theravada Buddhist monks only accept food offerings in the alms bowl in contrast to bogus monks who have been soliciting monetary donations in public with alms bowls. The practice of alms food collection is a very dignified way to support the Buddhist monks' physical needs and it is conducted with sense restraint and mindfulness in the manner mentioned above.

Palelai Buddhist Temple and our resident monks will continue to support and practice alms food collection with the aim of adhering to the Theravada Buddhist monastic code and to educate Buddhists and the public at large on the reason and correct mode of carrying out this practice.

For more information

Here are some readings about the Pindapata Observances: