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RefrainingfromPossessingtheTreasure
Dr.PhraSrisitthimuni DeanofGraduateSchool MahachulalongkornrajavidyalayaUniversity Bangkok,Thailand

Ithasbeenmorethan2,500yearsafterourLordBuddhasgreatpassingaway, theworldisnowdevelopedintoamodernworldwithhightechnologies.Itcertainly hasagreatimpactonthelifestylesoftheSanghacommunity(monkandnun)and Buddhistdeities.ItisagoodtimethatthesignificanceoftherulesofVinayashouldbe reviewedanddiscussedinordertomaintaintheBuddhasteachingsandinstructions, andestablishsomenewruleswhichwillstrengthenourBuddhistSanghaand individualmonkornunasawhole.Thisisasignificantkeytoprotectandmaintainour Buddhismmuchlongerinthemodernandhightechnologicalenvironmentsandbe firmwithourTeacher.ThepartofaruleofVinayaonrefrainingfrompossessingthe treasurewillbediscussedintermsofSanghaandindividualmonkproperties,the aspectsofthelaitydonorandhowtheSanghaandindividualmonkcanmanageto copewithit. ThenametheBuddhagavetothespiritualpathwasDhammavinaya suggestinganintegrationofwisdomandethicaltraining.TheVinayaisanessential foundationoftheBuddhasteachings,togetherwiththeDhamma.WhentheBuddha firstestablishedtheSangha,thecommunityinitiallylivedinharmonywithoutany codifiedrulesofconduct.AstheSanghagraduallygrewinnumberandevolvedintoa morecomplexsociety,occasionsinevitablyarosewhenamemberwouldactinan unskillfulway.WheneveroneofthesecaseswasbroughttotheBuddhasattention, hewouldlaydownaruleestablishingasuitablepunishmentfortheoffense,asa deterrenttofuturemisconduct. TheDhammaVinayaisthedisciplinewhichtheBuddhalaiddownasour Teacherafterhewasgone.Heformulatedtherulesafterstatinghisreasonswhen bhikkhu(monk)andbhikkhuni(femalemonk)misbehaved.Theyfallintothreemain types.Thefirsttwoareexternal:(1)toensurepeaceandwellbeingwithinthe Sanghacommunity,(2)toencourageandprotectgoodfaithamongthelaity,upon whomthebhikkhusdependontheirsupporttheoriginstoriesofthevariousrules depictthelaityasgeneralizingquickly.Theycomplainwhenonebhikkhumisbehaves

Howcanthebhikkhudothat?Thethirdisinternal:theruleistohelprestrainand preventmentalaffluentwithinanyindividualbhikkhu.Thustherulesaimnotonlyat theexternalwellbeingofthecommunity,butalsoattheinternalwellbeingofthe individual.ThelatterreasonofVinayabecomesapparenttoanyonewhoseriously triestokeeptotherules,fortheyencouragemindfulnessandcircumspectioninones actions,qualitiesthatleadintothetrainingofthemind. SincetheVinayaruleswerelaiddownandinstructedbyourLordBuddha,we needtobeveryconscioustoalteranyofHisestablishedrules.Acompleteattention onthissignificantissueneedscarefulconsiderationwhethertheyaregenuineminor ruleswhichourTeacherhadallowedtobealteredafterHispassingaway.This certainlyrequiresanexplicitinterpretationoftherulesinVinayawhichgovernthelife ofTheravadabhikkhuandbhikkhuni. TheactuallifestyleofthepresentSanghacommunityhasbeenchanged drasticallyduetotodaysdiversifiedcultureaswellaspracticingthemstrictly. AnythingwhichcanormaydeterioratetheteachingofourBuddhaisdetrimentto maintainingtheBuddhasreligionastheconsequencewillaffectthestabilityof Buddhism. We,theBuddhistdevotees,areresponsibletoprotectourBuddhasasana. Furthermore,therulesofVinayaarealsotheproceduresandconventionofetiquette thatsupportharmoniousrelations,bothamongthemonasticsthemselves,and betweenthemonasticsandtheirlaysupporters,onwhomtheydependforallmaterial needs. Concerningmaterialneeds,forthe[artofrefrainingfrompossessingthe Treasure]thesignificanceoftheVinayaRuleinthemoderndaycontextcanbetaken intoasfollows: Firstly,thetreasureshouldbeinterpretedexplicitlyunderSanghikaProperty inVinayaasLahubhandha(lightarticles)nothighvalueandGarubhanda(heavy articles)includesomeothervaluableproperty,expensivethings,nonmovable property. Amonkmayonlyhaverightstohaveapersonalpossessionofeightkinds, Atthaparikkhara(extrapossessionorextraproperty). TherestbelongtotheSangha communityincludingtwentyfivekindsofGarubhanda. Ingeneralsense,itcouldbeunderstoodthatindividualmonkmighthavehis ownpossessedproperty. Actually,heistheownerofthosethingsinthesensethathe isamemberofcommunity. Eventhough,thepropertymightbelongtoindividuals,an individualshouldannouncehispossessiontothecommunityinordertouseandkeep them,theallowanceshouldbegivenbySanghaauthoritytotheindividualforthe

personaluse. So,thereistheonlywayforanymonkbeingabletouselightand heavyarticlesshouldbewiththeagreementofSanghaorder. Secondly,accordingtolaitysmindandattitudethevaluabledonationoffered bythemprimarilymeanttobenefittheSanghacommunityforthewellbeingofthe SanghaandBuddhismastheyrepresenttheBuddhasreligion,topropagateHis teachingsandmaintainHisteachings.Thelaitynormallyregardsbhikkhuorbhikkhuni asonewhohasrenouncedtheworldandfollowedtheBuddhasDhammaandVinaya whicharefreefromlaityslifestyle,especiallythepossessionoftreasure. Thebhikkhu hassacrificedtoliveaccordingtotherulesofVinayawhenhetooktheordination whichgainsrespectandgoodfaithofthelaity. Thereforeitisverysensitiveissuethat anyweaknessoflaitysfaithwillleadtotheweaknessofsupport.Thisisacritical issue,thatofinsufficientsupport,whichinturnleadstothedeteriorationandgradual disappearanceofBuddhism. However,ifanynewestablishedruleswithintheSangha communitycangainmorerespectandmorefaithofthelaitywhichbasedon harmoniousandpeacefulmeans,theywilleventuallyleadtothegrowthandprosperity ofBuddhisminthepresentandalsointhefuture. ThedonorsareencouragedtoofferpropertiestotheSangharatherthantothe individualmonks.Once,MahapajapatiGotami(thestepmotherofPrinceSiddhattha Gotama)cametotheBuddhainordertoofferanewpairofrobes,theBuddhatold her:GiveittotheSangha,Gotami.WhenyougiveittotheSangha,Both,Iandthe Sangha,willbehonored.Tothisheaddedfurther,sayingtoAnandaThera:Inthe futuretimes,Ananda,therewillbemembersoftheclanwhoareyellownecked, immoral,ofbadcharacter.Peoplewillgivegiftstothoseimmoralpersonsforthesake oftheSangha.Eventhen,Isay,anofferingmadetotheSanghaisincalculable, immeasurable.AndIsaythatinnowayisagifttoaperson,individually,evermore fruitfulthananofferingmadetotheSangha.(MN,Sutta142Dakkhinavibhanga) Accordingtothispointofview,wecanadmitthatwhateverwasofferedbylay devoteetoamemberoftheSangha,ifitwasofferedwithgoodintention,andwith devotionandforthesakeoftheSangha,itwillbeagreatbenefittotheSanghaand thelaityslife. Thepersonwhoreceivesmightbeofdifferentlevelofvirtue,andtheperson whomakesanofferingmightbeofdifferentlevelofvirtuetoo.So,theimportancein hereistheintention,thedonorgiveswithtoapersonitisintendedtobeofferedtoa communityofbhikkhusorBhikkhuni(Sangha).Inthiscase,thebenefitswillbethere nomatterwhatkindofreceivertherewouldbe.

Thirdly,afteranexplicitinterpretationregardingtheSanghikaPropertyan effectivesystemtohandleandcopewiththepossessionofpropertyandtreasureof Sanghacommunityandindividualmonkneedstobewellestablishedinordertoabide bytherulesofVinayasmoothlyandconveniently.Thiswillhelpbhikkhuand bhikkhunitoliveandsuccessfullydealwiththemoderndaywithouttamperingwithour Buddhasteachingsandinstructions. AsVinayarulesclearlyhadmentionedonmattersdealingwithproperties,it shouldbeunderstoodthatundernocircumstances,monkscanreceivemoneyor valuablethingslikepreciousstone,andcoinsormoderncurrencies.Butintheeraof moderntechdevelopmentsandchanges,monkstoo,aresubjecttothesechanges. Thustherearemembersofthecommunityofmonks,whoduetotheneedsofthe communitywouldengageintheuseofmoderntechnologies,duetotheinconvenience orpropertravelsmonkshadstartedtobecomeinvolvedwiththeuseofproperties. Thesekindsofthingsareunavoidablemattersintheworldtoday.Onlyifmonksuse thesepropertiesinthesenseofcommunalbelongingsandwithoutindulginginleisure, thenusageofnewertechnologyprobablywouldbe:properandhelpful. WithreferencetoAnguttaraNikaya7.80UpaliTherasaidtotheBlessedOne: Itwouldbegood,Lord,iftheBlessedOnewouldteachmetheDhammainbriefsuch that,havingheardtheDhammafromtheBlessedOne,Imightdwellalone,secluded, heedful,ardentandresolute. Upali,,thequalitiesofwhichyoumayknow,thesequalitiesdonotleadto utterdisenchantment,todispassion,tocessation,tocalm,todirectknowledge,toself awakening,nortounbinding.Youmaydefinitelyhold,ThisisnottheDhamma,thisis nottheVinaya,thisisnottheTeachersinstruction. Asforthequalities,ofwhichyoumayknow,Thesequalitiesleadtoutter disenchantment,todispassion,tocessation,tocalm,todirectknowledge,toself awakening,tounbinding.Youmaydefinitelyhold,thisisDhamma,thisistheVinaya, thisistheTeachersinstruction. InordertoalteranyrulesofVinaya,anexplicitlypreciseinterpretationis essentiallyrequiredasitcertainlyaffectsourBuddhasteachingsandinstructionsand hasgreatimpactonourBuddhasasanainthelongrun,astimegoesby.Perhapsitis necessarytoinvolve,notonlytheSanghasviews,butalsotheviewsfromtrustworthy Buddhistdevotees. WiththeeffectivetrustworthyopinionsofbothSanghaandlay devoteesforthebenefitofBuddhism,asawhole,thereshouldbesomewaysto overcomeinconveniencesfromthemodernlifestylesoftheSangha.