[Buddha-l] Non attached & mindful culinary triumphalism?

[Dan Lusthaus]

Artur,

> Let's not forget that the leper, because of the nature of his
> sickness, belongs to the category of socially excluded persons.

Being a leper might prevent one from being able to join the sangha, but I 
don't think there are any rules about refusing alms from such people. Maybe 
Lance or someone better acquainted with vinaya minutiae can enligthen us on 
this.

My hunch, until we are informed otherwise, is that one accepts from all, 
maybe especially the downtrodden, since receiving their gifts is good karma 
(merit) for them.


> Well, would Buddhist monks ask for alms in the households of untouchables?

In Buddha's day the notion of an untouchable caste or outcastes was not yet 
developed, so there would have been no rules excluding them. One has to be 
of healthy and normal body (e.g., no hermaphrodites allowed) to join the 
sangha, but one doesn't seek such people out to persecute them, and they 
should be allowed to donate, I believe. People have pointed out that much of 
the discussion in the Nikayas when caste issues come up tends to restrict 
itself to the two upper castes, brahmins and ksatriyas, and those folks have 
thereby challenged the idea that the early sangha was egalitarian concerning 
caste. I think the record is unclear, but would enjoy hearing from others 
with informed opinions on the subject (I am asking a historical question, 
not whether the sangha *ought to be* an equal-opportunity headshaving 
community).

Dan