BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

The Bowl Chapter Chapter 7.3In cases where he must forfeit the item in the midst of the Community, he may notreceive it in return. In the remaining cases, though, the item must be returned to him.Not to do so entails a dukkaṭa for the bhikkhu(s) to whom it is forfeited. In twocases — NP 22 & 23 — there are restrictions as to what a bhikkhu may and may notdo with the item received in return after forfeiture, but apart from these rules he isfree to use the returned item as he likes.The act of forfeiture is thus symbolic in most cases, and the effect of the rules ismore internal: The offender may not make use of the item until he has confessedhis wrong doing, and this in itself should give him time to reflect on his actions. Ifthe item has been obtained or made in an inappropriate way, the act of handing itover to another provides the opportunity to reflect on whether it is worth whatevergreed, anger, or delusion it has sparked in one's mind. If the item has been held inpossession either too long (as under NP 1 & 21) or not kept in one's care at thenecessary time (such as NP 2), one can reflect on this evidence of one'scarelessness and on the need for heightened mindfulness.Offenses of this and the remaining categories in this book are classed as lightoffenses (lahukāpatti) and are also termed desanā-gāminī, meaning that they canbe cleared through confession.231