Lzh Mu Kd 5Leather
Pāli / Sanskrit:Camma
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Exposition of the Camma Scripture (Leather - Camma)
Context
The Camma scripture belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Pātimokkha section, the basic rules of discipline for the Sangha in the Theravāda tradition. This scripture concerns the use of leather in the life of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs.
The Buddha established regulations on work (camma) related to leather in order to protect the purity of practice and maintain the compassionate spirit of the Buddha Dharma. These regulations are not unreasonable restrictions, but practical guidance helping practitioners avoid situations that easily harm virtue and negatively affect the reputation of the Sangha. The context of this scripture lies in the process by which the Buddha and the Sangha gradually completed the discipline through specific events involving disciples.
Main Content
In this scripture, the Buddha forbade bhikkhus to engage directly in work related to animal hides. This includes buying and selling leather, processing leather, or being involved in killing or injuring animals to obtain hides. This prohibition does not stop at direct action but also includes seeking, accepting, or supporting such activities.
The main reasons are: first, such work is connected with harming animals, contrary to the precept of “abstaining from taking life” (pānātipāta veramaṇī), one of the most basic precepts. Second, commerce in leather easily exploits greed and distracts the mind from the work of meditation and Dharma study. Third, such actions can damage the reputation of the Sangha in the eyes of ordinary people, who provide alms and support monasteries.
The scripture recognizes reasonable exceptions: for example, if leather is found (not obtained through killing), or if old leather robes or implements need to be handled, these may be dealt with appropriately without causing further harm.
Practical Meaning
For modern practitioners, the Camma scripture teaches us that purity does not reside only in the mind but must also be reflected in action.
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