San Sarv Bu Pm Finot Pc 23Teaching Nuns for Profit

Exposition of the Āmisa Discourse: Instructing Nuns for Gain

Background

This discourse belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravada Pali Canon, a core part of early Buddha-Dharma. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not only a collection of prohibitions, but also reflects the disposition of the early Buddhist monastic community, the challenges they faced in study and practice, and the guidance given to maintain pure ethics.

The issue addressed in this discourse, “instructing nuns for gain” (āmisa), was a troubling phenomenon in the monastic community. The word “āmisa” (आमिस) means material benefit, gain, or things offered as inducement. In this context, it refers to the act of teaching the Dharma to nuns when the true motive is the food, robes, lodging, or reputation one may receive.

Main Content

The rules in the Vinaya Piṭaka related to this issue reflect a core principle of Buddhism: the purity of motivation. Though teaching the Dharma is a noble act, if it is done with an impure motive, material ambition or desire for fame, then that act loses its spiritual value.

In the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Buddha established rules to protect the integrity of the Buddha-Dharma. Not every act that appears good outwardly is pure in essence. If a bhikkhu or bhikkhuni gives instruction or teaches the Dharma, but the motive behind it is craving for gains and offerings, profit, or reputation, that is regarded as a violation of the spirit of practice.

The discourse teaches that true instruction must arise from compassion, from the wish to help others be liberated from suffering, and not for temporary benefits. This is a subtle but very important distinction: the action may appear the same, but the motive determines its karmic nature.