Bi Np 99. Exchanging designated collective property that was asked for
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyagaṇikacetāpana
A nun who asks for a collective requisite designated for a specific purpose and then exchanges it for something else must relinquish the item and confess the offense.
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Dutiyagaṇikacetāpana: Exchanging Designated Collective Property That Was Asked For
Background
In the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, the regulations governing the management of the Sangha's collective property reflect the teaching on non-greed and integrity. Bi Np 9 (Dutiyagaṇikacetāpana) appears among the rules of Nissaggiya Pācittiya — offenses requiring the forfeiture of the article involved and confession. The context arises from cases in which bhikkhunīs ask for designated collective property intended for a specific purpose, but then exchange or substitute it with something else for their own benefit. Such action violates the principles of honesty and respect for the intentions of those who made the offering.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is established to protect the integrity of the Sangha and to maintain the trust of the lay community. Each rule is not an arbitrary restriction, but a safeguard protecting the mind from moral decline. In particular, rules concerning collective property emphasize that what has been offered to the Sangha is for the benefit of all, not for personal gain.
Main Content
The rule stipulates that when a bhikkhunī asks for property or requisites designated for a specific purpose — such as cloth for robes, medicine, or fuel — and then exchanges or substitutes it with something else without the consent of the Sangha, she has committed a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense. This offense is not a minor transgression; it requires three steps of serious redress.
First, the bhikkhunī must completely forfeit the article involved — that is, she must return or relinquish possession of whatever was improperly exchanged. This act of forfeiture is not merely physical; it reflects an awakening to the wrongness of the action. Second, she must make a formal confession (nissaggiya) before the Sangha or before bhikkhunīs competent to receive it.
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