Lzh Mi Bu Pm Np 12Bribing Weavers

Teaching on the Mahāpesakāra Sutta: On the Offense of Bribing Weavers

Background

The Mahāpesakāra Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically in the Pāṭimokkha, the fundamental rules that monks and nuns must observe. This collection was assembled after the Buddha entered nirvana, when the elders convened a council to preserve the teachings and rules of practice.

The text was formed from specific situations in the early monastic community. When a monk or bhikkhunī violated defined rules, these events were recorded as precedents to guide later communities of practice. The Mahāpesakāra Sutta arose from a case in which a member of the Sangha attempted to bribe weavers, that is, attempted to use material things or benefits to alter their decision or opinion.

Main Content

The offense of Mahāpesakāra is classified among serious violations. “Mahā” means great, while “pesakāra” relates to influencing or manipulating through bribery or material benefit. In this context, “weavers” refers to witnesses or persons of influence in the adjudication of a matter within the Sangha.

This offense has a distinctive nature: it is not merely a single act of violation, but a deliberate attempt to manipulate and defile the process of fairness in the religious community. When a monastic tries to buy off persons with a voice in the matter, whether through money, gifts, or other benefits, so that they will defend him or oppose a decision of the Sangha, this is regarded as a betrayal of the community’s core values.

The Vinaya Piṭaka details the forms of bribery, the consequences of penance, and the conditions under which this violation is reconsidered. What is important is intention and planning: a monastic must have the intention to evade the issue and actively carry out the act of bribery.

Practical Meaning

The Mahāpesakāra Sutta teaches that honesty and integrity are the foundation of the Sangha.