Xct Mu Bi Pm Sk 43Receiving in Proportion

The Sutta on Proportionate Receiving (Samasūpakapaṭiggahaṇa)

Background

This section belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, where rules of religious practice and events related to the communal life of monks and nuns are recorded. The Samasūpakapaṭiggahaṇa section is among the regulations concerning how bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs receive offerings from laypeople, especially requisites necessary for practice. This text reflects the relationship between the monastic community and the lay community, as well as ethical principles in using property while following the path.

The term “samasūpa” means “proportionate” or “corresponding,” while “paṭiggahaṇa” means “receiving” or “accepting.” Thus, this text teaches how to receive offerings fairly and suitably according to actual need, neither excessive nor deficient.

Main Content

This section regulates that bhikkhus should receive requisites for daily life, such as robes, pots, utensils, and hygiene tools, in proportion to the actual needs of monastics, and should not accumulate additional things that are unnecessary. The spirit of this regulation is to avoid greed and the accumulation of useless property, which is an obstacle on the path of practice.

Specifically, when laypeople wish to make offerings, a bhikkhu should consider whether he truly needs to use them. If he already has enough, even if more is offered, he should skillfully and wisely decline. This is not because he looks down on the donor, but because of wisdom in maintaining a mind free from greed, one of the pillars of Buddhist ethics.

The specific regulations in this section concern the quantity and quality of objects a bhikkhu is permitted to possess, such as the number of robes, the age of tools, or external conditions that allow storage. Each regulation has flexibility according to the particular circumstance, but their core is moderation and carefulness.