BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

The Silk Chapter Chapter 7.2proper items, all the bhikkhus except the one who originally accepted the gold ormoney may make use of them. If the lay person does not volunteer to buy anythingwith the gold or money, the bhikkhus should tell him to get rid of it.If he does not get rid of it, they are to choose one of the bhikkhus present as the"money-disposer," by means of the transaction statement — one motion and oneannouncement (ñatti-dutiya-kamma) — given in Appendix VI. The money-disposermust be free of the four forms of bias — based on desire, aversion, delusion, orfear — and must know when money is properly disposed of and when it is not. Hisduty is to throw the money away without taking note of where it falls. If he does takenote, he incurs a dukkaṭa. The Commentary recommends that, "Closing his eyes, heshould throw it into a river, over a cliff, or into a jungle thicket without payingattention to where it falls, disinterested as if it were a bodily secretion (gūthaka)."None of the texts mention what a bhikkhu is to do with dukkaṭa objects he hasreceived, but as we shall see under the following rule, the Commentary would seemto suggest that he return them to their donors.Non-offenses. As mentioned above, there is no offense for the bhikkhu who, findinggold or money lying around the monastery or in a house he is visiting, puts it awayin safe keeping for the owner. This point is discussed in detail under Pc 84.Checks. There is some controversy over the status of checks under this rule. Inlegal terms, a check is a notice to a bank to provide funds for the payee. Becausebanks are corporate individuals and not "places," a check made out to a bhikkhu isthus equivalent to a notice from a donor to a steward to provide funds on thebhikkhu's behalf. Because the funds in question do not change ownership until therecipient cashes the check, this strengthens the similarity to funds placed with asteward: The funds still belong to the donor until they are used, and the steward isresponsible if they become lost in the meantime. Thus the simple act of receiving acheck counts not as an act of receiving money but as an acknowledgement of thenotice. In passing the notice to someone else, one is simply informing them of thedonor's arrangement. Only if a bhikkhu cashes a check or gives an order tosomeone else to do so does he commit an offense under this rule.A bhikkhu who uses a check as a means of barter commits an offense under NP 20.The most he is allowed to do when receiving a check is to hand it over to hissteward — being careful not to say anything that would violate the etiquette ofkappiya vohāra ("wording things right") under this rule or NP 10, 19, & 20 — and tolet the steward make whatever arrangements he/she sees fit.Summary: Accepting gold or money, having someone else accept it, or consentingto its being placed down as a gift for oneself is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense.19. Should any bhikkhu engage in various types of monetaryexchange, it (the income) is to be forfeited and confessed.195