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Bi NP 83 min read

8. Exchanging designated collective property

Gaṇikacetāpana

A nun who exchanges away a collective requisite designated for a specific purpose 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

0.58. GaṇikacetāpanasikkhāpadaExchanging designated collective property

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena 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 aññatarassa pūgassa pariveṇavāsikā bhikkhuniyo yāguyā kilamanti.At that time the nuns staying in the yard belonging to a certain association were weak because of a lack of congee.11.3Atha kho so pūgo bhikkhunīnaṁ yāguatthāya chandakaṁ saṅgharitvā aññatarassa āpaṇikassa ghare parikkhāraṁ nikkhipitvā bhikkhuniyo upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca—Then, after collecting voluntary contributions to supply the nuns with congee, that association stored the ingredients in a shop. They then went to the nuns and said,21.4“amukassa, ayye, āpaṇikassa ghare yāguatthāya parikkhāro nikkhitto, tato taṇḍulaṁ āharāpetvā yāguṁ pacāpetvā paribhuñjathā”ti.“Venerables, congee ingredients are stored in such-and-such a shop. Please have someone get rice from there, have congee cooked, and then eat it.”1.5Bhikkhuniyo tena parikkhārena bhesajjaṁ cetāpetvā paribhuñjiṁsu.But the nuns exchanged those ingredients for tonics, which they then used.

1.6So pūgo jānitvā ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti—When that association found out about this, they complained and criticized them,1.7“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikena mahājanikena aññaṁ cetāpessantī”ti …pe…“When collective ingredients are designated for a specific purpose, how could the nuns exchange them for something else?” …1.8“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikena mahājanikena aññaṁ cetāpentī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nuns did this?”

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

1.10PTS 4.253Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.11kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikena mahājanikena aññaṁ cetāpessanti.“When collective ingredients are designated for a specific purpose, how could the nuns exchange them for something else?1.12Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.13evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.14.0Final ruling

1.14.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikena mahājanikena aññaṁ cetāpeyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.‘When a collective requisite is designated for a specific purpose, 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 …
2.3bhikkhunītiNun:
2.4…pe… ayaṁ 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.
2.7MahājanikenātiCollective:
2.8gaṇassa, na saṅghassa, na ekabhikkhuniyā.belonging to a group, not to the Sangha, not to an individual nun.
2.9Aññaṁ cetāpeyyātiExchanges it for something else:
2.10yaṁatthāya 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.2.11Paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṁ hoti.When she gets it, it becomes subject to relinquishment.

2.12Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā ekabhikkhuniyā vā.It should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual nun.2.13Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ.“And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …” 2.14…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.)

2.15“idaṁ me, ayye, aññadatthikena parikkhārena aññuddisikena mahājanikena aññaṁ cetāpitaṁ nissaggiyaṁ imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe…“Venerables, this thing, which I got in exchange for a collective requisite that was designated for a specific purpose, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” …2.16dadeyyā”ti …pe…“the Sangha should give …”2.17dadeyyun”ti …pe…“you should give …”2.18ayyāya dammī”ti.“I give this back to you.”

2.19.0Permutations

2.19.1Aññadatthike 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.2.20Aññadatthike 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.2.21Aññadatthike 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.2.22Nissaṭṭhaṁ 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.3

2.23Anaññadatthike aññadatthikasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not for a specific purpose, but she perceives that it is, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.24Anaññadatthike vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not for a specific purpose, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.25Anaññadatthike anaññadatthikasaññā, anāpatti.If it is not for a specific purpose, and she does not perceive that it is, there is no offense.

2.26.0Non-offenses

2.26.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.27sesakaṁ upaneti,if she uses the remainder;4 2.28sāmike apaloketvā upaneti,if she uses it after getting permission from the owners;5 2.29āpadāsu,if there is an emergency; 2.30ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.31ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.32Aṭṭhamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The eighth training rule is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. “Yard” renders pariveṇa. For a discussion of this word, see Appendix of Technical Terms.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-np8:1.2

  2. For an explanation of the rendering “ingredients” for parikkhāra, see Appendix of Technical Terms.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-np8:1.3

  3. 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-np8:2.22

  4. This seems to mean that if there is a remainder after the requisites have 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-np8:2.27

  5. 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-np8:2.28