Xct Mu Bi Pc 149Stingy With Families

Kulamaccharinī Sutra: On Stinginess Toward Families

Background

The Kulamaccharinī is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically in the Pātimokkha section, the basic rules of discipline. This text reflects a common situation in the monastic community, related to the management of property and the attitude of abusing authority among renunciants.

According to the Vinaya context, the Buddha issued these prohibitions when he became aware of improper conduct within the community. The term “Kulamaccharinī” (kulamaccharī + nī, feminine) describes the conduct of female disciples whom Buddhism calls “stingy toward families,” that is, bhikkhunīs or other members of the monastic community who abuse relationships with supporting families in order to accumulate property or private benefit.

Main Content

This text explains that the conduct of “stinginess toward families” (kulamacchariyā) is regarded as a serious fault in the Vinaya, especially for those who have gone forth. This conduct includes a bhikkhunī monopolizing or unreasonably controlling resources provided by supporting families, refusing to share them with other bhikkhunīs, or exploiting the trust of a family for personal accumulation.

This prohibition arises from a basic principle of Buddhism: renunciants should keep away from clinging, grasping, and material pleasure. By accepting only what is necessary and sharing fairly with the community, bhikkhunīs practice compassion (karuṇā) and equanimity (upekkhā).

Supporting families (upāsakā, upāsikā) give possessions to the monastic community with the wish to gain merit, not to sustain one private individual. If a bhikkhunī appropriates or limits the sharing of these offerings, she violates both the family’s trust and the simple ideal of monastic practice.