Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Sk 54Na hastasaṁlagnikaya pravekṣyāma
Pāli / Sanskrit:Na hastasaṁlagnikaya pravekṣyāma
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Exposition of the Na Hastasaṁlagnikaya Pravekṣyāma Scripture
Background
The Na Hastasaṁlagnikaya Pravekṣyāma scripture belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha-Dharma, reflecting the deep concern of the Buddha and his disciples for regulations concerning property and material things in the community of monks and nuns. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely formal rules, but the practice of a holy way of life intended to protect mindfulness, moral purity, and harmonious communal living in the Sangha.
Regulations concerning possessions, especially goods that should not be touched directly by hand or used personally, arose from specific situations in early Buddhist history. Bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs needed clear guidance so they would not fall into openings that lead to greed, hatred, and delusion concerning material things. The exclusion of “goods not to be held in the hand” (na hastasaṁlagna) is one of the important legal formulas in the Vinaya Piṭaka, helping monastics maintain a mind free from covetousness (anabhijjhā).
Main Content
This scripture handles a practical issue: the things that bhikkhus are not permitted to possess or touch directly. According to this principle, monastics should not possess money, gold and silver, or other valuable objects whose holding might stimulate ambition or material need.
Instead, the Sangha arranges mechanisms of support: preceptors (upajjhāya) or experienced bhikkhus manage material needs for disciples. This is not a harsh restriction, but a way of lessening the spiritual burden, so that the mind is not bound tightly to worldly possessions. The formula “not holding goods in the hand” (na hastasaṁlagna) is also a way of protecting the purity of the Sangha in the eyes of the world.
These regulations also prevent disputes over property, which cause division in the community of practice.
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