Lzh Dg Bi Pm Np 9Money
Pāli / Sanskrit:Rūpiya
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The Rule on Money (Rūpiya)
An Explanation of the Vinaya Piṭaka — Theravāda Tradition
Background
The Rule on Money (Rūpiya) is a regulation in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically belonging to the Pātimokkha of the Theravāda Buddhist Sangha. This is not a theoretical legal discourse, but a part of monastic law, recording the specific rules that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must observe in communal life. The background of this rule concerns the tendency of early Buddhists to accept money from laypeople, which ran contrary to the spirit of going forth: abandoning greed and material things. The rule was recorded when the Sangha discussed economic ethics and the purity of the Sangha.
Main Content
The Rule on Money stipulates that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs are not permitted to receive money (rūpiya), gold or silver, or any value of exchange directly. Receiving money is regarded as one of the actions that violates the purity of one gone forth. This rule clearly states that if a bhikkhu receives money from a layperson or anyone else, or allows another person to store money for him with the intention of using it later, that conduct is regarded as a Pācittiya offense, an offense requiring confession.
This rule not only forbids direct receiving but also indirect actions. If a bhikkhu instructs another person, “Put the money here so that I may use it later,” or “Please hold my money for me,” this is also considered a violation. Even receiving money with the intention of giving charity to others is not permitted, because the rule emphasizes the purity of the individual monastic with regard to material possessions.
The rule recognizes certain exceptions: the Sangha may possess collective property to maintain the activities of the monastery, but that belongs to the institution, not to an individual. Laypeople are permitted to manage money for the Sangha through appointed persons.
Practical Meaning
The Rule on Money expresses a profound principle: one gone forth must be liberated from material bonds in order to focus on practice.
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