Bi Np 3030. Diverting an offering intended for the Sangha
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pariṇata
A nun who diverts to herself an offering intended for the Order must relinquish the item and confess the offense.
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Pariṇata (Diverting an Offering Intended for the Sangha)
Background
The Pariṇata is part of the Bhikkhunī Pāṭimokkha (the Code of Discipline for Bhikkhunīs), forming an important section of the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda tradition. This rule concerns the ethics of managing the collective property of the Sangha, one of the most fundamental principles of Buddhist monastic life.
According to its historical context, the rule was established when the Buddha observed that certain bhikkhunīs had exploited the trust placed in them by diverting offerings intended for the monastic community to private use. Such conduct violated the principle of proper adjudication (adhikaraṇa) and undermined the confidence of the lay community. The Buddha therefore laid down this rule in order to protect the integrity of the Sangha and to instruct bhikkhunīs in the virtue of integrity (sīla) in the management of communal property.
Main Content
The Pariṇata rule stipulates that any bhikkhunī who diverts (pariṇata) an offering intended for the Sangha (Sangha-bhoga) to herself or to another individual, rather than allowing it to remain for the use of the monastic community, commits a Pāṭidesanīya — an offense requiring public acknowledgment before the Sangha.
This violation encompasses specific situations: if a bhikkhunī receives a donation (dāna), a robe, or any requisite that the donor has clearly designated for the entire Sangha, yet she redirects it to herself or to a small group of monastics, this rule is transgressed.
According to the regulation, a bhikkhunī who commits this offense must fulfill three requirements: first, she must publicly declare the transgression before the Sangha; second, she must return or restore the property to the Sangha; and third, she must accept correction and guidance from senior teachers. The purpose is not to punish, but to rectify one's attitude and to restore relationships of trust.
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