Lzh Mu Bi Vb Np 16Bribing Weavers
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mahāpesakāra
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Mahāpesakāra Sutta - The Matter of Corruption in the Saṅgha
Background
The Mahāpesakāra Sutta (Tibetan: Lzh Mu Bi Vb Np 16) is a part of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the religious code governing the lives of monks and nuns. The term "Mahāpesakāra" in Pāli means "great cloth-weavers" or, more broadly, "those who greedily obtain great gain through unrighteous action." This text is recorded in the context of the Blessed Buddha and his disciples at Sāvatthi or in other localities, when ethical problems related to corruption and bribery arose in the monastic community.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of formal rules but a comprehensive ethical system that helps monks and nuns cultivate spiritually and maintain the trust of the community. The Mahāpesakāra Sutta is placed in the Bhikkhunī Vinaya or the Bhikkhu Vinaya, depending on the particular translation, and it deals with one of the most sensitive issues: internal corruption through the act of bribing personnel in order to obtain improper benefits.
Main Content
The Mahāpesakāra Sutta recounts a specific incident: monastics or laypeople attempted to bribe cloth-weavers, or others with influence in the community, in order to obtain benefits such as clothing, food, or other favors. This action is considered a serious ethical violation.
The Blessed Buddha judged that any act intended to corrupt or exploit one’s position in pursuit of gain is a violation of the Vinaya. Specifically, those who take part in bribery, whether the giver or the receiver of the bribe, commit an offense. This is not a minor fault or simple negligence, but a matter related to Pārājika, an offense corresponding to expulsion, or at least Saṅghādisesa, offenses requiring public reconciliation with the Saṅgha.
This text emphasizes that monks and nuns must maintain purity and must not seek personal benefit through unrighteous means.
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