Xct Mu Bu Pm Sk 5Na tālapatraṁ
Pāli / Sanskrit:Na tālapatraṁ
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Explanation of the Na tālapatraṁ Sutta
Background
The Na tālapatraṁ Sutta (palm leaf) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, especially in the Sutta Vibhaṅga, where the rules of training for monks and nuns are presented in detail. These are teachings concerning material possessions and the way they are used in the religious life of bhikkhunīs.
The background of this event is the time when the Buddha and his disciples were living in rural outskirts, where palm leaves, from a tree common in India, were widely used as building material, rain cloaks, writing material, and for other purposes in daily life. The event concerns one or more bhikkhunīs using palm leaves in a way not in keeping with the spirit of religious practice, or the storing of palm leaves becoming an issue of property ownership.
Main Content
The Na tālapatraṁ Sutta is a typical example in the Pāṭimokkha, the basic code of ethics, illustrating the principle of bhikkhunīs’ separation from material possessions. According to the Theravāda tradition, women renunciants are not permitted to accumulate or possess unnecessary items, even though such things may have practical value in worldly life.
The specific case of palm leaves is presented to clarify this point: a bhikkhunī should not simply use palm leaves for their material benefits, but must consider whether such possession or use accords with the five prohibitions for bhikkhunīs, especially the rules concerning ownership of property, accumulation of wealth, and economic activities inappropriate to the status of a renunciant.
This sutta also emphasizes the distinction between items used specifically for the purpose of religious practice, such as robes, alms bowls, and bedding, and items used for personal or material purposes. If palm leaves are used, they must be used only to serve the essential needs of religious practice, not for accumulation or trade.
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