Bi Pc 161161. Picking up precious things
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ratana
A nun who picks up anything considered valuable must confess the offense.
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Scripture on Picking Up Precious Things (Ratana)
Background
This rule is recorded in the Vinaya Pitaka, specifically in the Bhikkhuni Patimokkha—the monastic code for female monastics in the Theravada tradition. The rules in the Vinaya Pitaka were not transmitted by the Buddha as theoretical teachings, but rather as practical guidelines established to maintain communal discipline and to assist practitioners on the path to awakening.
This scripture concerns the handling of material possessions in the monastic life. In the spirit of Theravada Buddhism, monastics—whether male or female—must live simply, keeping themselves removed from the pursuit of gain and the accumulation of wealth. Seeking out or picking up valuable objects can become a stimulus for ambition and possessive thinking, factors that hinder progress on the path of practice.
Main Content
According to the Ratana rule (rule 161), if a bhikkhuni (female monastic) finds or picks up any object considered precious—whether gold, silver, jewelry, or any property of value—she must openly confess this offense before the monastic community. The act of picking up precious objects may arise from three motivations: (1) the wish to possess it privately, (2) the wish to hoard it for the future, or (3) negligence in maintaining mindfulness.
The offense is called Pacittiya, a category of offense requiring confession and repentance. What is important is not the object that has been found, but the awareness and intention behind the action. If a bhikkhuni picks up a precious object without any intention of keeping it—wishing only to find its owner and return it, or picking it up to offer to the monastic community—no violation of the rule has occurred. However, as soon as there is an intention to keep or hoard it for oneself, a violation has taken place.
Practical Significance
This rule reflects a profound principle in Buddhism: detachment from the pursuit of gain (lobha) is a necessary condition for the attainment of awakening.
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