Bu Pj 22. The training rule on stealing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Adinnādāna
A monk who steals anything of value is expelled.
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THE CANONICAL LAW ON TAKING WHAT IS NOT GIVEN
Adinnādāna — The Second Pārajika
Background
This training rule belongs to the Pārajika — those offenses that result in permanent expulsion from the Sangha. The Pārajika constitutes the highest category within the system of violations in the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, comprising four fundamental rules whose transgression by any bhikkhu results in his permanent removal from the Sangha.
The training rule on taking what is not given (Adinnādāna Pārajika) arose during the time when the Blessed One was residing in various localities. It reflects the need to protect the morality and trust of the community, and in particular the respect for the property of others — a foundational principle for maintaining social harmony and public confidence in the Sangha.
In its historical context, bhikkhus depended upon the generosity of the laity. If a bhikkhu were to take something without the permission of its owner, this would not only constitute an ethically wrong action, but would also infringe upon another's right of ownership and cause the community to lose faith in the Sangha.
Main Content
The Adinnādāna rule stipulates: A fully ordained bhikkhu who takes what has not been given, or what is given under compulsion, or by means of deception, with the intention of appropriating it, commits a Pārajika offense.
"Taking what is not given" (adinnādāna) here is not simply ordinary theft. This rule applies to things of value, whether gold, silver, or other precious objects. The act must be carried out with clear awareness that the item is the property of another, and that the one acting intends to take possession of it without permission.
The criteria for determining a violation include: (1) the object belongs to an owner, (2) the one acting knows clearly that it is not his own, (3) the act is performed with the intention of appropriating it, and (4) the appropriation is successfully accomplished. If all of these conditions are met, the bhikkhu incurs a Pārajika offense — an offense of expulsion.
This expulsion is not a temporary penalty but a permanent loss of one's status as a bhikkhu.
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