Bu Pc 8282. Diverting gains intended for the Sangha
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pariṇāmana
A monk who diverts to an individual an offering intended for the Order must confess the offense.
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Pariṇāmana: Diverting Gains Intended for the Sangha
Background
Within the Vinaya Piṭaka of Theravāda Buddhism, this rule was established to protect the purity of the monastic community and to uphold the principle of communal living. In the time of the Buddha, laypeople would regularly prepare food, robes, medicines, and lodgings for the entire Sangha (Saṅgha). The tokens, silver, or goods offered were donated with the intention of providing for all monks collectively, not for any individual in particular.
However, there were certain monks who did not respect the compassionate intentions of the people. They took advantage of opportunities to redirect material goods intended for the Sangha into their own name or into that of other individuals, in order to benefit personally. Such conduct violated the principle of equality within the Sangha and damaged the trust of the laity. For this reason, the Buddha and the Elders established the rule of Pariṇāmana to regulate this behavior.
Principal Content
According to the Pātimokkha — the primary code of discipline that all monks must observe — rule Bu Pc 82 states clearly: if a monk deliberately diverts goods offered for the Sangha — whether material items, money, or provisions — to an individual or to another group rather than allowing them to remain for the community as a whole, he must confess that offense.
The act of "diverting" (pariṇāmana) may be carried out in a number of ways: by directly saying to the donor "please give it to me," by altering the intended designation recorded by another, or by finding a skilful means to separate those goods from their character as "belonging to the Sangha." This offense is classified as Pācittiya — a fault requiring public confession before the Sangha in order to be cleared.
The reason this rule was established is not to prevent individual gifts. If a layperson freely and voluntarily offers something to a particular monk, that is regarded as an act of generosity and is to be encouraged. However, when a person has chosen to offer to the community as a whole, any change to that intention must have the consent of the donor, and may not be decided unilaterally by the monk.
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