Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pj 2Theft
Pāli / Sanskrit:Adinnādāna
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Exposition of the Adinnādāna Sutta (Taking What Belongs to Another)
Background
Adinnādāna (adinna = not given; dāna = taking, seizing) is one of the five basic precepts of Theravāda Buddhism, established in the Vinaya Piṭaka. This text is found in the Pātimokkha section of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the supreme disciplinary code that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs undertake to observe.
The context in which this precept arose is connected with specific situations in the early Sangha community. The Buddha established this rule not to restrict freedom, but to protect the community’s trust in the Sangha and to build the ethical foundation for the path of practice. The Adinnādāna precept is an indispensable part of the effort to develop wisdom (paññā) and virtue (sīla) on the path to liberation.
Main Content
The Adinnādāna precept forbids bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs from taking anything that the owner has not permitted, whether the object is precious or ordinary. The important point is the intention to take when the owner does not know or does not consent.
The Vinaya Piṭaka explains in detail cases of violation: taking another person’s property, whether money, cloth, food, or other material possessions. According to the Pātimokkha, this act is considered one of the four gravest offenses (Pārājika) for a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī if what is taken is an object of great value (one sukkadharaṇa = an equivalent measure of gold). For a bhikkhu, the degree of offense depends on the value of the object taken and the state of mind when taking it.
The text emphasizes the principle: a practitioner must respect the property of others as one respects one’s own life. There is no exception or valid reason that permits violation of this precept. Even if an object has been abandoned or no one is caring for it, the practitioner must be cautious and ask permission before taking it.
The Vinaya Piṭaka also gives very specific regulations concerning related actions such as taking, hiding, seizing, or intending to take (cuppanne). Intention (cetanā) is the decisive factor: if there is no intention to take what belongs to another, there is no violation, even if the hand has touched the object.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.