Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 18: The Training Rule on Money.
- Translated from the Pali by Brahmali Bhikkhu.
Origin story
1At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Rājagaha in the squirrel sanctuary in the Bamboo Grove. At that time Venerable Upananda associated with a family from which he received a regular meal. Whatever food was obtained by that family, a portion was put aside for Venerable Upananda. One evening that family obtained some meat and they put aside a portion for Venerable Upananda. Then, in the morning, one of their children got up and cried: “Give me meat!" And the man said to his wife: “Give the Venerable’s portion to the child. We will buy something else and give that to the Venerable."
2Then, after dressing in the morning, Venerable Upananda took his bowl and robe and went to that family, where he sat down on the prepared seat. The man of the house approached Venerable Upananda, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said: “Yesterday evening, bhante, we obtained some meat, and we put aside a portion for you. But then in the morning our child got up and cried, ‘Give me meat!’, and we gave your portion to the child. What can we get you for the sum of a kahāpaṇa?"
“Are you giving up a kahāpaṇa for me?"
“Yes, bhante."
“Then give me just that kahāpaṇa."
Then, after giving a kahāpaṇa to Venerable Upananda, he grumbled and complained: “Just as we accept money, so do the Sakyan ascetics."
3Monks heard the complaints of that man, and the monks of few desires … complained and criticised him: “How can Venerable Upananda receive money?"
4After criticising him in many ways, they informed the Master. … “Is it true, Upananda, that you received money?" “It’s true, Master." The Buddha, the Master, criticised him: “ … Foolish man, how can you receive money? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
5“If a monk takes, gets someone else to take, or consents to gold and silver being deposited for him, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession."
Definitions
6A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who is ordained by a complete Sangha through a procedure of one motion and three announcements, which is unchallengeable and fit to stand; this sort of monk is meant in this case.
7Gold: the colour of the Teacher is so called.
8Silver: a kahāpaṇa, a copper māsaka, a wooden māsaka, a resin māsaka, whatever is used in commerce.
9Takes: if he takes it himself, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
10Gets someone else to take: if he gets another to take it, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
11Consents to [ … ] being deposited for him: if someone says, “Let this be for the Venerable," and he consents to it being deposited for him, it becomes subject to relinquishment.
It is to be relinquished in the midst of the Sangha. “And, monks, it is to be relinquished in this way. After approaching the Sangha, that monk should put his upper robe over one shoulder and pay homage at the feet of the senior monks. He should then squat on his haunches, put the palms of his hands together, and say: ‘Bhante, I have received money. It is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’" After relinquishing it, he is to confess the offence. The confession should be received by an experienced and competent monk.
If a monastery attendant or a lay disciple is available, he should be told: “Look into this." If he says, “What can I get you with this?", one should not say, “Get this or that;" one should point out what is allowable: ghee, oil, honey, or molasses. If he makes a purchase and brings back what is allowable, everyone may enjoy it except the one who received the money.
If this is what happens, it is well. If not, he should be told, “Discard this." If he discards it, it is well. If he does not, a monk who has five qualities is to be chosen as the money-discarder: one who is not swayed by desire, anger, delusion, or fear, and who knows what discarding and not discarding refer to.
And, monks, this is how he should be chosen. First the monk should be asked and then an experienced and competent monk should inform the Sangha:
12“‘Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. If it seems appropriate to the Sangha, it should choose monk so-and-so as the money-discarder. This is the motion.
13“‘Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. The Sangha chooses monk so-and-so as the money-discarder. Any monk who agrees to choosing monk so-and-so as the money-discarder should remain silent. Any monk who does not agree should say so.
14“‘The Sangha has chosen monks so-and-so as the money-discarder. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’"
15The chosen monk should drop it without taking note. If he takes note of where he drops it, he commits an offence of bad conduct.
Permutations
16If it is money, and he perceives it as money, and he receives it, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is money, but he has doubt about it, and he receives it, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is money, but he does not perceive it as money, and he receives it, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
17If it is not money, but he perceives it as money, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is not money, but he has doubt about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is not money, and he does not perceive it as money, there is no offence.
Non-offences
18There is no offence: if, within a monastery or a house, he takes it or gets someone to take it, and then puts it into storage with the thought, “Whomever this belongs to will fetch it"; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
19The eighth rule, the training rule on money, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. tena kho pana samayena āyasmā upanando sakyaputto aññatarassa kulassa kulūpako hoti niccabhattiko. yaṃ tasmiṃ kule uppajjati khādanīyaṃ vā bhojanīyaṃ vā tato āyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa paṭiviso ṭhapiyyati. tena kho pana samayena sāyaṃ tasmiṃ kule maṃsaṃ uppannaṃ hoti. tato āyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa paṭiviso ṭhapito hoti. tassa kulassa dārako rattiyā paccūsasamayaṃ paccuṭṭhāya rodati— "maṃsaṃ me dethā"ti. atha kho so puriso pajāpatiṃ etadavoca— "ayyassa paṭivisaṃ dārakassa dehi. aññaṃ cetāpetvā ayyassa dassāmā"ti.
2 atha kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto pubbaṇhasamayaṃ nivāsetvā pattacīvaraṃ ādāya yena taṃ kulaṃ tenupasankami; upasankamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. atha kho so puriso yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasankami; upasankamitvā āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. ekamantaṃ nisinno kho so puriso āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ etadavoca— "hiyyo kho, bhante, sāyaṃ maṃsaṃ uppannaṃ ahosi. tato ayyassa paṭiviso ṭhapito. ayaṃ, bhante, dārako rattiyā paccūsasamayaṃ paccuṭṭhāya rodati— ‘maṃsaṃ me dethā’ti. ayyassa paṭiviso dārakassa dinno. kahāpaṇena, bhante, kiṃ āhariyyatū"ti? "pariccatto me, āvuso, kahāpaṇo"ti? "āma, bhante, pariccatto"ti. "taññeva me, āvuso, kahāpaṇaṃ dehī"ti.
3 atha kho so puriso āyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa kahāpaṇaṃ datvā ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti— "yatheva mayaṃ rūpiyaṃ paṭiggaṇhāma evamevime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā rūpiyaṃ paṭiggaṇhantī"ti. assosuṃ kho bhikkhū tassa purisassa ujjhāyantassa khiyyantassa vipācentassa. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto rūpiyaṃ paṭiggahessatī"ti.
4 atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ … pe … "saccaṃ kira tvaṃ, upananda, rūpiyaṃ paṭiggahesī"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tvaṃ, moghapurisa, rūpiyaṃ paṭiggahessasi. netaṃ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
5 "yo pana bhikkhu jātarūparajataṃ uggaṇheyya vā uggaṇhāpeyya vā upanikkhittaṃ vā sādiyeyya, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyan"ti. (18:37)
6 yo panāti yo yādiso … pe … bhikkhūti … pe … ayaṃ imasmiṃ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.
7 jātarūpaṃ nāma satthuvaṇṇo vuccati.
8 rajataṃ nāma kahāpaṇo lohamāsako dārumāsako jatumāsako ye vohāraṃ gacchanti.
9 uggaṇheyyāti sayaṃ gaṇhāti nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
10 uggaṇhāpeyyāti aññaṃ gāhāpeti nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
11 upanikkhittaṃ vā sādiyeyyāti idaṃ ayyassa hotūti upanikkhittaṃ sādiyati, nissaggiyaṃ hoti. saṇghamajjhe nissajjitabbaṃ. evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṃ— tena bhikkhunā saṇghaṃ upasankamitvā ekaṃsaṃ uttarāsangaṃ karitvā vuḍḍhānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ pāde vanditvā ukkuṭikaṃ nisīditvā añjaliṃ paggahetvā evamassa vacanīyo— "ahaṃ, bhante, rūpiyaṃ paṭiggahesiṃ. idaṃ me nissaggiyaṃ. imāhaṃ sanghassa nissajjāmī"ti. nissajjitvā āpatti desetabbā. byattena bhikkhunā paṭibalena āpatti paṭiggahetabbā. sace tattha āgacchati ārāmiko vā upāsako vā so vattabbo— "āvuso, imaṃ jānāhī"ti. sace so bhaṇati— "iminā kiṃ āhariyyatū"ti, na vattabbo— "imaṃ vā imaṃ vā āharā"ti. kappiyaṃ ācikkhitabbaṃ— sappi vā telaṃ vā madhu vā phāṇitaṃ vā. sace so tena parivattetvā kappiyaṃ āharati rūpiyappaṭiggāhakaṃ ṭhapetvā sabbeheva paribhuñjitabbaṃ. evañcetaṃ labhetha, iccetaṃ kusalaṃ; no ce labhetha, so vattabbo— "āvuso, imaṃ chaḍḍehī"ti. sace so chaḍḍeti, iccetaṃ kusalaṃ; no ce chaḍḍeti, pañcahangehi samannāgato bhikkhu rūpiyachaḍḍako sammannitabbo— yo na chandāgatiṃ gaccheyya, na dosāgatiṃ gaccheyya, na mohāgatiṃ gaccheyya, na bhayāgatiṃ gaccheyya, chaḍḍitāchaḍḍitañca jāneyya. "evañca pana, bhikkhave, sammannitabbo. paṭhamaṃ bhikkhu yācitabbo. yācitvā byattena bhikkhunā paṭibalena sangho ñāpetabbo—
12 ‘suṇātu me, bhante, sangho. yadi sanghassa pattakallaṃ, sangho itthannāmaṃ bhikkhuṃ rūpiyachaḍḍakaṃ sammanneyya. esā ñatti.
13 suṇātu me, bhante, sangho. sangho itthannāmaṃ bhikkhuṃ rūpiyachaḍḍakaṃ sammannati. yassāyasmato khamati itthannāmassa bhikkhuno rūpiyachaḍḍakassa sammuti, so tuṇhassa; yassa nakkhamati, so bhāseyya.
14 sammato saṇghena itthannāmo bhikkhu rūpiyachaḍḍako. khamati sanghassa, tasmā tuṇhī, evametaṃ dhārayāmī’"ti.
15 tena sammatena bhikkhunā animittaṃ katvā pātetabbaṃ. sace nimittaṃ katvā pāteti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
16 rūpiye rūpiyasaññī rūpiyaṃ paṭiggaṇhāti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. rūpiye vematiko rūpiyaṃ paṭiggaṇhāti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. rūpiye arūpiyasaññī rūpiyaṃ paṭiggaṇhāti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
17 arūpiye rūpiyasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. arūpiye vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. arūpiye arūpiyasaññī, anāpatti.
18 anāpatti— ajjhārāme vā ajjhāvasathe vā uggahetvā vā uggahāpetvā vā nikkhipati— yassa bhavissati so harissatīti, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.
19 rūpiyasikkhāpadaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ aṭṭhamaṃ.