San Mu Bu Pm GBM 3 Pj 2Theft

Explanation of the Adinnādāna Discourse (Taking What Is Not Given)

Background

The Adinnādāna discourse is an important part of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the basket of discipline in the Theravāda tradition. This work belongs to the Pātimokkha, or Pātimokkhavibhaṅga, the section regulating the offenses of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. The word “adinnādāna” is divided into “adinna,” not permitted or not given, and “dāna,” taking; in general it means the act of appropriating property without the owner’s permission.

This rule arose from practical necessity when the Buddha and the faithful lived in community. At first, the Buddha had not forbidden taking another’s property, but after undesirable events occurred, the Blessed One established this rule to protect the morality and honor of the Sangha. This regulation also reflects a social value: protecting the rightful property of all people, whether faithful followers or outsiders.

Main Content

The Adinnādāna discourse stipulates that any bhikkhu or bhikkhunī who intentionally takes an object not given by its owner, whether gold, money, or ordinary requisites, commits a Pārājika offense, an offense of expulsion, the most serious violation in the Pātimokkha. This means that the person is permanently excluded from the Sangha.

The discourse details specific cases: when it is considered “taking,” from the moment another no longer has control over the object; “not given,” when the owner does not consent or does not know; and “intention to appropriate” (sankappo). In addition, the discourse also mentions exceptions, such as taking one’s own property, or property abandoned by the owner with the intention of not wanting it back.

This rule prohibits not only direct action but also indirect conduct such as instructing another to take an object, or concealing an act of theft. The purpose is to ensure the spiritual purity of the Sangha and maintain the community’s trust in monks and nuns.