Xct Mu Bu Pm Np 24Bribing Weavers
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mahāpesakāra
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Mahāpesakāra Discourse: Explanation on Weavers Who Were Bribed
Background
The Mahāpesakāra discourse (pronounced: Ma-ha-pe-sa-ka-ra, meaning "those who cause heaviness" or "those who receive great bribes") is recorded in the Lesser Section (Cūḷavagga) of the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the comparative disciplinary section (Pesakāra Pañcakavatthu). This discourse reflects a situation that occurred at Sāvatthī during the lifetime of Buddha Śākyamuni.
The event concerns a group of weavers or people whose work was the making of cloth and silk. They attempted to bribe, or to participate in acts that violated the discipline of the Sangha, by providing gifts or material benefits in order to influence the decisions of monastics. This is a typical situation in which the Buddha had to intervene to teach the Sangha about purity, integrity, and freedom from pressure on the path of practice.
This historical background shows that even in the Buddha’s time there were worldly attempts to influence the Sangha through impure means. The Vinaya Piṭaka therefore records such cases as warnings for later generations of monastics.
Main Content
The Mahāpesakāra discourse tells that these weavers attempted to bribe or give gifts to monastics in order to obtain certain benefits, perhaps to alter disciplinary decisions or to receive preferential treatment in the distribution of monastery property. This action violates a basic principle of the Sangha: the independence of the Sangha from the influence of material and worldly interests.
The Buddha pointed out that accepting bribes or participating in transactions of this kind is an expression of greed (lobha), delusion (moha), and unwholesomeness (akusala). These are not actions in accordance with Buddhism, especially for those who have gone forth and vowed to protect the purity of the Sangha.
The discourse then established rules to prevent similar conduct. Monastics must refuse conditional gifts or acts intended to change their decisions.
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