Bi Np 55. Exchanging for something else
Pāli / Sanskrit:Aññacetāpana
A nun who gets one thing from a steward but then exchanges it for something else must relinquish the item and confess the offense.
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Exposition of the Aññacetāpana Rule (Bi Np 5)
Background
The Aññacetāpana rule belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the code of discipline for nuns), as recorded in the Theravāda tradition according to the Pāli Canon. This rule arose from practical situations within the community of bhikkhunīs in training, concerning the management of requisites and integrity in the receipt of goods.
In the daily life of bhikkhunīs, everyday requisites such as robes, bowls, and other necessities are typically dispensed by a steward—a person entrusted with overseeing the monastery's property. However, out of personal preference or greed, some bhikkhunīs might receive one requisite and then wish to exchange it for another without following the proper procedure. Such an action constitutes a violation of honesty and of the respect owed to the community.
Principal Content
The Aññacetāpana rule prescribes that a bhikkhunī is not permitted to receive a requisite from a steward and then, on her own initiative, exchange it for something else. Should such an action occur, the bhikkhunī must comply with a two-step process of confession and expiation.
First, the bhikkhunī must fully relinquish the requisite—she must not retain the item she received and exchanged. This act of relinquishment is not only physical, in the sense of actually returning the item, but also mental, expressing an acknowledgment of wrongdoing.
Second, the bhikkhunī must confess this offense before the community of bhikkhunīs (Bhikkhunī Saṅgha). This public confession is an integral part of the process of expiation within the Vinaya Piṭaka, serving to uphold the purity of the monastic community.
The deeper rationale behind this rule lies in safeguarding ethical conduct in the management of property and in preventing inequitable treatment within the community. When a bhikkhunī exchanges a requisite on her own initiative, she not only violates sincerity but also creates difficulties for the steward in the discharge of administrative duties.
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