Lzh Mu Bu Vb Np 18Money

The Sutta on Money (Rūpiya)

Background

The Sutta on Money is preserved in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. This text reflects practical issues that arose in the early community of monks and nuns when the Buddha-Dharma was beginning to function widely.

In the early period, when bhikkhus and bhikkhunis studied the Buddha-Dharma, they had to observe the disciplinary rules promulgated by the Blessed Buddha. One practical issue that arose was whether those who had gone forth were permitted to own or use money. The Sutta on Money is precisely the regulation on this matter, answering practical questions about how to use material property in the life of practice.

The Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga in the Vinaya Piṭaka is regarded as a legal and ethical document of Buddhism, established to maintain discipline and the spirit of the community of practice, while protecting the honor and purity of those who have gone forth.

Main Content

The Sutta on Money clearly stipulates that bhikkhus and bhikkhunis may not own or accumulate money (rūpiya), in any form. This arises from the basic principle of the life of going forth: abandoning worldly things, not being greedy for material possessions, and directing the whole mind toward the practice of liberation.

This regulation is not unreasonable harshness, but expresses the wisdom of the Buddha-Dharma. Money is a source of greed, hatred, and delusion, the three poisons (tilakkha) that afflict the mind. When one who has gone forth still accumulates money, that person remains bound by material desires, which is entirely contrary to the purpose of going forth.

Instead, the Sangha community is organized so that monks and nuns can rely on support from lay Buddhists. They receive necessary requisites, robes, food, lodging, and medicines, through the offerings of householders. In this way, those who have gone forth are freed from financial anxiety and can focus completely on practice.