English
to designate a meal by inscribing it on a ticket or a strip and then drawing it out" (Cūḷava. 326), tickets made of heartwood, or strips made of bamboo, reeds, or palm leaves, etc., with letters inscribed like "This is so-and-so's ticket-meal," should be placed in a basket or a robe-bag, all the tickets should be drawn out, and repeatedly stirred up and down. Then, by a meal-designator endowed with five qualities, if there is a seniority list, starting from the seniority list, if not, starting from the elder's seat, the tickets should be given. Even to those who arrived later, and to those standing far away in a continuous line, they should be given in the manner stated for the designated meal. If there are many alms-round villages around the monastery, but not many bhikkhus, tickets are also received by village. "Your ticket-meal is due in such-and-such village"— it should be taken by village. When taking in this way, even if there are various kinds Sixty ticket-meals, all of them are taken. Near that village with the bowl, there are two or three other ticket-meals, those should be given to him. For it is not possible to send another monk on account of them. If in some villages many ticket-meals are designated, they should be given to seven or even eight monks. When giving, the tickets for four or five meals should be tied together and given. If there is another village beyond that village, and in it there is only one ticket-meal, and they give it early in the morning, even that should be given to one of these monks by way of exception, and he should be told: “Take that early in the morning and afterwards take the other meals in the lower village.” If he goes with the perception of having taken even though the ticket-meals in the lower village have not been taken, he should take the ticket-meal in the village beyond and then return to the monastery, take the others, and go to the lower village. For it is not permissible to take a Sangha gain outside the boundary— this method is stated in the Kurundi. If, however, there are many monks, and the tickets are not sufficient by way of villages, they should be taken by way of streets, or by way of one house on a street, or by way of one family. And in streets and so on, where there are many meals, they should be taken for many monks in the manner stated for a village; if there are no tickets, they should be taken by designating. 212. The giver of tickets, however, should know the duty. For he should rise early, take his bowl and robe, go to the refectory, sweep the unswept place, arrange drinking water and water for use, and then, perceiving the time, thinking “now the monks will have performed their duties,” he should strike the bell. When the monks are assembled, he should first take the ticket-meal in the village for the turn, and say: “Your ticket is due in such and such a village for the turn, go there.” If the village is more than a gavuta away, and those who go that day will be tired, he should say: “Tomorrow your turn is due in the village for the turn.” It should be taken today. Whoever, being sent to the village for turns, does not go, and asks for another ticket, it should not be given. For it is a loss of merit for faithful people, and a cutting off of gain for the Sangha. Therefore, on the second and third day, another ticket should not be given to him. He should be told, "Go to your allotted place and eat." But if he does not go for three days, the ticket should be taken from the village for turns, in the nearer village for turns. If he does not take it, from then on, it is not proper to give him another ticket. A firm penalty should be imposed. It should not be reduced from sixty or fifty. Having taken it in the village for turns, the monastery turn should be taken. He should be told, "Your monastery turn has arrived." To the one on monastery turn, two or three gruel tickets, and three or four meal tickets should be given. But they should not be given as a fixed arrangement. For the donors of gruel and meals might become displeased, thinking, "Our gruel and meals are being consumed by the monastery keepers." Therefore, they should be given in other households. If the relatives of those on monastery turn bring and give (food), that is meritorious. If not, having taken a turn, their gruel and meals should be caused to be brought. Until then, their tickets are merely for distribution. However, in the allotted place by seniority, they may also receive another ticket for choice meals. For extra portions and single-monk meals, tickets should be given after establishing a separate rule. If the one who received a ticket does not receive that meal on that day, it should be taken on the next day. If he receives only the meal, but not the extra portion, even so, it should be taken again. The same rule applies to milk-meal tickets. But if he receives only the milk, not the meal, from the time of receiving the milk, it should not be taken again. Two or three single-monk meals may fall to one person. During a famine, when received by a junior monk of the Sangha, they should be untangled and taken separately. Even for one who did not receive a regular ticket-meal, it should be taken on the next day. If it is a small monastery Indeed, all monks, sharing in common, by taking the sugarcane portion, having delivered it to whoever is present, it is proper to cut it during the day and give it to the great elders and so forth. Having delivered the juice portion, even after the meal, having strained it, or having made it into treacle, it should be given to alms-round monks and so forth. For newcomers, knowing whether they have arrived or not, it should be taken. In a large monastery, having made a regulation, it should be taken. Even the buttermilk portion, having delivered it to the common place, or having smoked it, or having cooked it, it is proper to give it to the elders. In a large monastery, it should be practiced in the manner stated. Even the fruit portion, the cake portion, the medicine, perfume, and garland portions, should be taken with a separate regulation. Here, the medicine and other portions, although they are proper even for alms-round monks, because they are taken by way of a portion, they should not be enjoyed. They give a portion-meal, only the best alms-food; having asked about the regulation, it should be taken. If there is no regulation, it should be taken starting from the elder's seat. If there are many such meals, two or three should be given to each monk. If not, having given only one each, when the turn has gone around, it should be given again starting from the elder's seat. Then, if it is cut off in between, the regulation should be observed. But if such a meal is regular, whoever it falls to, that one should be told: ‘Whether you have received it or not, you should take it tomorrow as well.’ One is irregular; but on the day of receiving, one receives as much as desired. The days of not receiving are more numerous; that, whoever it falls to, that one, not having received it, should be told: ‘You should take it tomorrow.’ Whoever comes later, when the portions have been taken, for him, the portions are already passed; they should not be presented and given. A portion, indeed, starting from the striking of the bell, one receives by coming and extending the hand; even for another who has come and stood nearby, if it's passed, it's passed. But if another is taking it for him, even if he himself has not come, he receives it; in the common place, knowing ‘So-and-so has not come’, it is proper to set aside, ‘This is his portion.’ If they make an agreement, "It should not be given to one not yet arrived," that is unrighteous. For the apportioned food reaches one standing within the precincts. But if they make a loud noise, "Give to one not yet arrived," a penalty should be imposed. It should be said, "Let them come and take." Six or five tickets are lost. The food-distributor does not remember the names of the donors. If he, having delivered the lost tickets to the Mahāthera or to himself, should say to the bhikkhus, "I have delivered ticket-food in such-and-such a village for myself. You may partake of the ticket-food received there," it is permissible. But if it is not delivered to the monastery, to receive that food in the assembly hall and partake of it there, is not permissible. If it is said, "From today, take ticket-food for me," it is not permissible to take it there in the assembly hall. It must be brought to the monastery and taken. But if "from tomorrow" is said, the food-distributor should be informed: "From tomorrow, such-and-such a family gives ticket-food. Remember at the time of taking tickets." Having stopped ticket-food during a famine, when abundance arises, seeing some bhikkhu, they re-establish it, saying, "From today, take our ticket-food." It must not be taken within the village, but brought to the monastery and taken. For this ticket-food is not like appointed food. It is given with reference to the monastery itself. Therefore, it is not permissible to take it outside the precincts. But if "from tomorrow" is said, it must indeed be taken at the monastery. A travelling bhikkhu, desiring to go to a certain direction, where a village-turn-ticket has been received by another, it is permissible to take that, and say to the other bhikkhu, "You take my received ticket," and go. But by him, without having crossed the precinct boundary, his ticket should be taken there. Having resided in abandoned monasteries, people re-establish ticket-food, saying, "Let them partake, having maintained the Bodhi-tree, stupas, and so on." The bhikkhus, having resided in suitable places, going early, perform the duty there. Having made that meal, they eat it. It is allowable. If, when they have gone, having assigned it for themselves for tomorrow, a visiting monk, having stayed in a deserted monastery,