Bi Pc 140140. Using assigned property that has not been relinquished
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vikappana
A nun who uses robe-cloth that has been transferred to a fellow monastic must confess the offense.
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Vikappana Sutta: Using Transferred Property That Has Not Been Relinquished
Background
The Vikappana Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, recorded in the Bhikkhuṇī Pātimokkha (the Code of Discipline for Nuns). This context arises from regulations concerning the management of property within the monastic community of monks and nuns. The word "Vikappana" (ວິກັບປະນະ) means "transfer" or "assignment to another," reflecting complex legal situations pertaining to the ownership and use of property by nuns.
In the early monastic community, the management of property was an important matter for maintaining discipline and avoiding disputes. When a bhikkhuṇī transfers an article (in this case, a robe-cloth) to a fellow monastic, if the recipient has not yet formally relinquished ownership, or if the article remains in a state of "unconfirmed relinquishment" according to the Vinaya, then using that article constitutes an offense.
Main Content
The sutta stipulates that: if a bhikkhuṇī makes use of robe-cloth that has been transferred to a fellow monastic but has not yet been formally relinquished (the rite of pariccajjana has not been performed), then the one who uses it must confess the offense before the Saṅgha or before a preliminary assembly. This is a Pācittiya offense (requiring confession).
The legal principle here is: once an article has been transferred to another person in accordance with the Vinaya, the one who transferred it no longer has the right to use it without explicit permission. However, if the transfer has not been completed (ownership has not yet been formally relinquished), the use of that article still requires careful consideration. The issue does not lie in the question of material possession but in adherence to the strict Vinaya procedure, for the Buddha-Dhamma emphasizes purity and transparency in conduct.
Even if the user is unaware of the status of the article — whether it has been formally relinquished or not — they must still confess the offense, as this constitutes a transgression arising from inattentiveness.
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