Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pc 24Teaching Nuns for Profit

The Sutta on Teaching Nuns for Gain (Āmisa)

Background

This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically the Pātimokkha Samvaravagga, the basic rules of practice that bhikkhunīs must keep. The background arose when the Buddha observed that some bhikkhunīs were exploiting their religious position to seek material benefits, especially through teaching others, particularly new female disciples. Instead of practicing with a pure mind, these bhikkhunīs were motivated by desire for gain, causing the Buddha Dharma to be defiled by subservience to craving.

The sutta was recorded in the context of the Buddha building the system of Sangha rules to protect the purity of the Sangha. These teachings do not condemn specific individuals, but are profound principles guiding teachers to teach students without concern for āmisa, material benefits such as clothing, food, lodging, or profitable forms of honor.

Main Content

The Āmisa Sutta revolves around the principle prohibiting a bhikkhunī from teaching others for the sake of gain (āmisa). The primary purpose of teaching the Dharma is to help others awaken and be freed from suffering, not to increase one's own wealth or fame. When a bhikkhunī teaches another nun, or teaches in monasteries with the thought, "I will be provided with clothing, food, and lodging," that action violates the spirit of the precepts (sīla).

The sutta emphasizes three conditions of a wrongful act: (1) motivation: the mind is defiled by desire for gain; (2) action: teaching with the intention of obtaining material benefit; (3) result: violation of conscience, causing the Sangha to lose trust and sacredness. The sutta also indicates that this conduct constitutes an offense (āpatti) in the discipline of practice, and must be corrected through confession (paṭiggaha, acknowledging one's fault).