Xct Mu Bi Pm Np 11Money

An Exposition of the Sutta on Money (Rūpiya)

From Xét Mù Bi Pàramatta Nipāta, Vinaya Piṭaka

Context

During the development of the early Sangha, the Buddha and his disciples faced many practical issues related to monastic life. The Vinaya Piṭaka records the Buddha’s regulations intended to protect the purity of the Sangha and maintain focus on the path of Dharma.

The “Money” Sutta (Rūpiya) belongs to the Xét Mù Bi Pàramatta Nipāta section, minor yet important regulations within the Vinaya Piṭaka. It addresses a sensitive matter: the relationship between bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, and the use of money. The context arose when certain bhikkhus began storing or using currency, which conflicted with the Buddhist principle of living simply and without possessions.

Main Content

This text clearly establishes that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs are not permitted to accumulate, handle, or use money in any form. Currency, called by the Pāli word “rūpiya” (rrṭ-pyer-ah), is regarded as an object of attachment, contrary to the purity required for monastic life.

This regulation includes specific situations: one may not ask people to give money, may not receive money oneself, and may not send someone else to receive money on one’s behalf. If a bhikkhu needs basic requisites, such as clothing, food, or medicine, these must be provided through the system of “patisantharana” (pah-tih-sahn-tah-rah-nah), that is, support from lay devotees, rather than through monetary transactions.

Buddhism teaches that contact with money defiles the mind and leads to deviation from the path of Dharma. Greed and craving arise from handling property, weakening the effort to cultivate ethical character and meditation.

Practical Meaning

In the modern context, the “Money” Sutta still carries profound meaning.