BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Buddhist Monastic Code 1the Great Standards, which means that they must be treated in line with the rule(s)that cover situations bearing the greatest similarity to them. The protocols under Pc84 deal with the issue of how to return lost articles safely to an owner who did notintend them as a gift and still claims ownership of them; the protocols here dealwith how to get the money to a steward and how to get the steward to provide whatis needed with the money. Because these latter issues are the ones most relevant tothe proper management of these other funds, there seems every reason to agreewith the Commentary's discussing them under this rule.A few of the more relevant cases in the Commentary's discussion:Monetary funds for Saṅgha or group requisites. If a donor comes with a gift ofmoney and says that it is being offered to the Saṅgha or to a group for whateverpurpose, one should follow the protocol for accepting as under this rule. Forinstance, if the donor says, "I'm giving this to the Saṅgha for you to make use of thefour requisites," one may not accept it in any of the three ways covered by NP 18.(For details, see the discussion under that rule.) There is also a dukkaṭa, says theSub-commentary, for every bhikkhu who uses any article bought with the money.If, however, the donor says, "The money will be with your steward" or "with mypeople" or "with me: All you need to do is make use of the four requisites," thenthere is no offense in accepting and making use of this arrangement. The etiquetteto follow in obtaining requisites depends on who the money is left with: If thebhikkhus' steward, follow the protocol under this rule; if the donor's workers, onemay make any number of promptings; if the donor, follow the guidelines under Pc47. (In the first two cases here, the Commentary is following its decision, discussedabove, that the protocols to be followed with the donor's workers are different fromthose to be followed with one's own steward. In light of our above discussion,however, both cases would come under the protocols stipulated by this rule.)Non-monetary funds for Saṅgha or group requisites. DN 2 contains a list of otherarticles that a bhikkhu consummate in virtue does not receive. The Commentary —perhaps in light of the general rule against misbehavior (Cv.V.36) — imposes adukkaṭa on the act of receiving any of them. These articles include uncooked grainand raw meat; women and girls; male and female slaves; goats and sheep, fowl andpigs, elephants, cattle, steeds, and mares; fields and property. Extrapolating fromthe Vibhaṅga to Pc 84, which forbids bhikkhus from picking up pearls and preciousstones except in certain circumstances — and which does not allow such items tobe taken on trust, borrowed, or picked up with the perception that they have beenthrown away — the Commentary also assigns a dukkaṭa for receiving these items.These two lists of objects will surface again under NP 18 & 19; for ease ofreference, we will call them dukkaṭa objects.If a donor wants to make a gift of such things to the Saṅgha, the Commentary says,the question of whether they may be accepted depends on how the donation isphrased. If the donor says, "I'm giving this to the Saṅgha," for whatever the purpose,the gift may not be accepted. As in the previous case, there is a dukkaṭa forwhoever receives it and also for whoever uses an article obtained from proceedscoming from the gift.178