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Bi NP 103 min read

10. Exchanging designated personal property that was asked for

Puggalikacetāpana

A nun who asks for a personal requisite for a specific purpose and then exchanges it for something else must relinquish the item and confess the offense.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2BhikkhunivibhaṅgaThe Nuns’ Analysis
  • 0.3NissaggiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on relinquishment
  • 0.4PattavaggaThe subchapter on almsbowls

0.510. PuggalikacetāpanasikkhāpadaExchanging designated personal property that was asked for

1.0Origin story

1.1PTS 4.254Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.1.2Tena kho pana samayena thullanandā bhikkhunī bahussutā hoti bhāṇikā visāradā paṭṭā dhammiṁ kathaṁ kātuṁ.At that time the nun Thullanandā was a learned reciter, and she was confident and skilled at giving teachings.1.3Bahū manussā thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ payirupāsanti.Many people visited her.1.4Tena kho pana samayena thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā pariveṇaṁ undriyati.Just then the yard of Thullanandā’s dwelling was deteriorating.1.5Manussā thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ—People asked her why,1.6“kissidaṁ te, ayye, pariveṇaṁ undriyatī”ti?1.7“Natthāvuso, dāyakā, natthi kārakā”ti.and she replied, “I have neither donor nor worker.”1.8Atha kho te manussā thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā pariveṇatthāya chandakaṁ saṅgharitvā thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā parikkhāraṁ adaṁsu.Then, after collecting voluntary contributions for the yard of Thullanandā’s dwelling, the people gave the collected requisites to Thullanandā.1.9Thullanandā bhikkhunī tena ca parikkhārena sayampi yācitvā bhesajjaṁ cetāpetvā paribhuñji.But even though she had asked for them, Thullanandā exchanged those requisites for tonics, which she then used.

1.10Manussā jānitvā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—When the people found out about this, they complained and criticized her,1.11“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikena puggalikena saññācikena aññaṁ cetāpessatī”ti …pe…“When personal requisites are designated for a specific purpose and were asked for, how could the nun Thullanandā exchange them for something else?” …1.12“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikena puggalikena saññācikena aññaṁ cetāpetī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”

1.13“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.14Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.15kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikena puggalikena saññācikena aññaṁ cetāpessati.“When personal requisites are designated for a specific purpose and were asked for, how could the nun Thullanandā exchange them for something else?1.16Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.17evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.18.0Final ruling

1.18.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikena puggalikena saññācikena aññaṁ cetāpeyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.‘When a personal requisite is designated for a specific purpose and was asked for, if a nun exchanges it for something else, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

2.0Definitions

2.1Yā panātiA:
2.2yā yādisā …pe…whoever …
2.3bhikkhunīti …pe…Nun:
2.4ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.… The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case.
2.5Aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikenātiA requisite is designated for a specific purpose:
2.6aññassatthāya dinnena.it was given for a specific purpose.
2.7PuggalikenātiPersonal:
2.8ekāya bhikkhuniyā, na saṅghassa, na gaṇassa.belonging to an individual nun, not to the Sangha, not to a group.
2.9SaññācikenātiWas asked for:
2.10sayaṁ yācitvā.that she herself had asked for.
2.11Aññaṁ cetāpeyyātiExchanges it for something else:
2.12yaṁatthāya dinnaṁ taṁ ṭhapetvā aññaṁ cetāpeti, payoge dukkaṭaṁ.if, apart from the purpose for which it was given, she exchanges it for something else, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct.2.13Paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṁ hoti.When she gets it, it becomes subject to relinquishment.

2.14Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā ekabhikkhuniyā vā.It should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual nun.2.15Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ.“And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …” 2.16…pe…(To be expanded as in <a href='https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bi-vb-np1#2.1.21'>Bi NP 1:2.1.21</a>–2.1.43, with appropriate substitutions.)

2.17“idaṁ me, ayye, aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikena puggalikena saññācikena aññaṁ cetāpitaṁ nissaggiyaṁ, imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe…“Venerables, this thing, which I got in exchange for a personal requisite that was designated for a specific purpose and had been asked for, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” …2.18dadeyyā”ti …pe…“the Sangha should give …”2.19dadeyyun”ti …pe…“you should give …”2.20ayyāya dammī”ti.“I give this back to you.”

2.21.0Permutations

2.21.1Aññadatthike aññadatthikasaññā aññaṁ cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If it is for a specific purpose and she perceives that it is, and she exchanges it for something else, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.22Aññadatthike vematikā aññaṁ cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If it is for a specific purpose, but she is unsure of it, and she exchanges it for something else, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.23Aññadatthike anaññadatthikasaññā aññaṁ cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If it is for a specific purpose, but she does not perceive that it is, and she exchanges it for something else, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.24Nissaṭṭhaṁ paṭilabhitvā yathādāne upanetabbaṁ.When she receives in return what had been relinquished, it is to be used in accordance with the intention of the donors.1

2.25Anaññadatthike aññadatthikasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not for a specific purpose, but she perceives that it is, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.26Anaññadatthike vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not for a specific purpose, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.27Anaññadatthike anaññadatthikasaññā, anāpatti.If it is not for a specific purpose, and she does not perceive that it is, there is no offense.

2.28.0Non-offenses

2.28.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.29sesakaṁ upaneti,if she uses the remainder;2 2.30sāmike apaloketvā upaneti,if she uses it after getting permission from the owners;3 2.31āpadāsu,if there is an emergency; 2.32ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.33ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.34Dasamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The tenth training rule is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. Vmv 2.740: nissaṭṭhaṁ paṭilabhitvāpi yaṁ uddissa dāyakehi dinnaṁ, tattheva dātabbaṁ. Tenāha “yathādāneyeva upanetabba”nti, “Having obtained what was relinquished, it is to be given in accordance with the designation of the donors. Yathādāneyeva upanetabbaṁ is said in regard to this.”

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-np10:2.24

  2. This seems to mean that if there is a remainder after the article has been used as intended, then this may be exchanged for something other than what was specified. Sp 2.762: Sesakaṁ upanetīti yadatthāya dinno, taṁ cetāpetvā avasesaṁ aññassatthāya upaneti, “She uses the remainder means: after exchanging it for the purpose for which it was given, she uses the remainder for another purpose.”

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-np10:2.29

  3. That is, if she makes use of it in another way than what was intended by the owners. Sp 2.762: Sāmike apaloketvāti “tumhehi cīvaratthāya dinno, amhākañca cīvaraṁ atthi, telādīhi pana attho”ti evaṁ āpucchitvā upaneti, “After getting permission from the owners means: she makes use of it after asking, ‘It was given by you for the purpose of robes, but we have robes and we need oil, etc.’”

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-np10:2.30