BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

The Valuable Chapter Chapter 8.984. Should any bhikkhu pick up or have (someone) pick up avaluable or what is considered a valuable, except in a monastery or ina dwelling, it is to be confessed. But when a bhikkhu has picked up orhad (someone) pick up a valuable or what is considered a valuable(left) in a monastery or in a dwelling, he is to keep it, (thinking,)"Whoever it belongs to will (come and) fetch it." This is the propercourse here.The general purpose of this rule is to prevent a bhikkhu from picking up misplacedvaluables belonging to other people, for as the origin story shows, there aredangers inherent in such an act even when done with the best intentions."Now at that time a certain bhikkhu was bathing in the Aciravatī River. And a certainbrahman, having placed a bag of 500 gold pieces on the river bank, bathed in theriver and left, forgetting it. The bhikkhu, (saying to himself,) 'Don't let this bag of thebrahman's be lost,' picked it up. Then the brahman, remembering, rushed back andsaid to the bhikkhu, 'My good man, have you seen my bag?'"'Here you are, brahman,' he said, and gave it to him."Then the thought occurred to the brahman, 'Now by what means can I get awaywithout giving a reward to this bhikkhu?' So (saying,) 'I didn't have 500, my goodman, I had 1,000!' he detained him for a while and then let him go."However, a bhikkhu who comes across a fallen valuable in a monastery or in adwelling he is visiting — if he does not pick it up — may later be held responsible ifit gets lost: thus the two situations mentioned as exemptions in the rule. Insituations such as these, a bhikkhu is allowed even to pick up money and otheritems he is not normally allowed to take. In fact, the Vinaya-mukha states that if hedoes not pick up the valuable and put it in safe-keeping, he incurs a dukkaṭa. Noneof the other texts mention this point, although it is probably justified on the groundsthat the bhikkhu is neglecting his duty in not following the "proper course" here.The Vibhaṅga advises that if a bhikkhu has picked up a fallen valuable in this wayand put it in safe keeping, he should take note of its features. (The Commentaryadds that if it is a bag of money, he should open the bag and count how much itcontains. The same would hold for such things as wallets at present.) He shouldthen have an announcement made, "Let him come whose goods are lost." If aperson comes to claim the item, the bhikkhu should ask him/her to describe it. If theperson describes it correctly, the bhikkhu should hand it over. If not, he should tellthe person to "keep looking." If the bhikkhu is going to leave the monastery to liveelsewhere, he should entrust the item to another bhikkhu or — if no suitable bhikkhuis available — to a suitable lay person (§).The Commentary adds that if, after a suitable length of time, no one comes to claimthe item, the bhikkhu should have it exchanged for something of lasting use to the413