4 / 13 · Alms food
Walking for alms house by house
Receiving alms from each house in order, without skipping poorer homes or seeking out generous ones.
- Author
- Dhutanga.org Editorial Team
- Review
- Doctrinal review pending
- Tradition
- Theravada, with comparative notes
- Published
- Last reviewed
- Pali name
- Sapadānacārikaṅga
- Group
- Alms food
Meaning
Sapadāna means “without a gap” or “in order”. The practitioner walks the route in sequence rather than choosing where to stop.
How it is practised
On the alms round the practitioner pauses at each house along the way, whether or not food is likely to be given, and does not return to a home that has already been passed.
Grades of strictness
The grades differ in how strictly the sequence is kept — for example whether the practitioner may wait longer, or accept food brought from a house ahead or behind.
Benefits described in the tradition
- Impartiality towards all families, rich or poor
- Freedom from the fault of frequenting particular families
- Being equally available to all who wish to give
When the observance lapses
The observance lapses when houses are skipped out of preference.
Context today
The spirit of impartiality in this practice is widely valued in contemporary monastic life, even where the physical route differs.