San Lo Bi Pn 49Hiding Jewels
Pāli / Sanskrit:ratana-pratisaṁyuktaṁ
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Discourse on Hiding Jewels (San Lo Bi Pn 49)
Background
The Discourse on Hiding Jewels (ratana-pratisaṁyuktaṁ) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Sanghadisesa section, rules that must be examined with the Sangha. It is one of the teachings of a penal and disciplinary character in the Theravāda tradition, related to rules about property and material value that bhikkhus are permitted to possess.
The background of this discourse reflects the development of the Sangha after the Buddha’s nirvana, when the community of practitioners needed to establish clear standards for managing common and personal property, in order to protect the spirit of the practice of simple living (appicchata) and non-greed (anabhijjha).
Main Content
This discourse addresses the issue of bhikkhus concealing or hiding valuable property, especially things of high value such as gold, silver, or precious garments. The title “Hiding Jewels” (ratana, jewel; pratisaṁyuktaṁ, connected or hidden) precisely indicates the act of covering or storing away things that, according to the Vinaya Piṭaka, a bhikkhu should not possess, or if possessed must be declared openly to the Sangha.
The act of hiding property is regarded as a serious disciplinary offense in the Theravāda tradition. The problem is not only possession of valuable things, but also the concealment of them, which reflects desire and heedlessness in the mind (lobha, doṣa). The discourse prescribes penalties and remedies, including confession before the Sangha, relinquishing the unlawful object, and other separate forms intended to restore discipline.
These rules do not apply to lawful requisites that a bhikkhu is permitted to keep: the three robes (cīvara), the alms bowl (patta), belt, water strainer, sitting cloth, and other essential tools. These things need not be hidden, because they are necessary for the life of practice.
Practical Meaning
The Discourse on Hiding Jewels teaches us a profound lesson about purity (parisuddhi) and transparency (passaddhi) in practice.
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