Bi Np 1212. Getting an expensive light cloak in exchange
Pāli / Sanskrit:Lahupāvuraṇa
A nun who asks for an expensive, light outer-robe must relinquish it and confess the offense.
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Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law The Nuns’ Analysis
The chapter on relinquishment The subchapter on robes 12. Getting an expensive light cloak in exchange
Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the nun Thullanandā was a learned reciter, and she was confident and skilled at giving teachings. On one occasion when the weather was warm, King Pasenadi of Kosala put on an expensive linen cloak and went to Thullanandā. He bowed and sat down. And Thullanandā instructed, inspired, and gladdened him with a teaching. He then said, “Venerable, please say what you need.”
“Great king, if you wish to give me something, then give me this linen cloak.”
The king gave her his cloak. He then got up from his seat, bowed down, circumambulated her with his right side toward her, and left. People complained and criticized her, “These nuns have great desires; they are not content. How can they ask the king for his linen cloak?”
The nuns heard the complaints of those people, and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How could Venerable Thullanandā ask the king for his linen cloak?” … “Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā asked for this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
The Buddha rebuked her … “How could the nun Thullanandā ask the king for his linen cloak? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
‘If a nun carries out an exchange to get a light cloak, it is to be worth at most two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins. If she gets one in exchange that is worth more than that, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”
Definitions
A light cloak: whatever cloak is used in warm weather. Carries out an exchange to get: asks for. It is to be worth at most two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins: it may be worth ten kahāpaṇa coins. If she gets one in exchange that is worth more than that: if she asks for one worth more than that, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. When she gets it, it becomes subject to relinquishment.
It should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual nun. “And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …” (To be expanded as in Bi NP 1:2.1.21–2.1.43, with appropriate substitutions.)
“Venerables, this light cloak worth more than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, which I got in exchange, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” … “the Sangha should give …” “you should give …” “I give this back to you.”
Permutations
If it is worth more than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, and she perceives it as such, and she gets it in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is worth more than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, but she is unsure of it, and she gets it in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is worth more than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, but she perceives it as being worth less, and she gets it in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
If it is worth less than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, but she perceives it as being worth more, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is worth less than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is worth less than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins, and she perceives it as such, there is no offense.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if she carries out an exchange for one worth at most two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins; if she carries out an exchange for one worth less than two-and-a-half kaṁsa coins; if it is from relatives; if it is from those who have given an invitation; if it is for the benefit of someone else; if it is by means of her own property; if she gets one in exchange that has little value from someone who wants to exchange one of great value; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
The twelfth training rule is finished.
“Venerables, the thirty rules on relinquishment and confession have been recited. In regard to this I ask you, ‘Are you pure in this?’ A second time I ask, ‘Are you pure in this?’ A third time I ask, ‘Are you pure in this?’ You are pure in this and therefore silent. I will remember it thus.”
The chapter on offenses entailing relinquishment in the Nuns’ Analysis is finished.
The “…” is an abbreviation carried over from the Pāli original itself, called peyyāla. The early canon was memorized and recited, so passages repeated verbatim from a preceding discourse were commonly contracted to an elision mark rather than written out in full. Venerable Thích Minh Châu's translation preserves this convention. Some texts therefore look short — but that is the canonical form, not missing content or a truncated translation. The elided passages can be read in full in the preceding discourses of the same chapter.
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