Money

  • NP 10, Fund with steward
  • NP 18, Gold, silver and money
  • NP 19, Selling or buying
  • NP 20, Trade

NP 10, Fund with steward

"For anyone for whom gold and silver are allowable, the five strings of sensuality are also allowable. [...] That you can unequivocally recognize as not the quality of a contemplative, not the quality of one of the Sakyan sons." (SN 42.10)

The purpose of the rule is to free bhikkhus from the complex responsibilities of buying and selling, while facilitating the means and protocols for their support with money.

Origin: Mendaka offers funds for the Sangha.

A bhikkhu is not allowed to accept other funds either, such as jewels, commodities, land, livestock, etc.

A bhikkhu may designate a lay steward to manage funds offered for the bhikkhu's support.

If the bhikkhu harasses the steward with impatient prompting, even if he obtains the requisite, the item must be forfeited and the NP offense confessed.

If the bhikkhu exceeds the number of allowed promptings, he incurs the NP offense when obtaining the item.

A verbal prompting may be substituted with two silent ones: from 6 verbal and 0 silent, to 0 verbal and 12 silent.

If the steward fails to use the funds to support the bhikkhu, he should inform the donors.

When speaking with the steward, the bhikkhu should indicate what he needs, but may not use commands to tell them, 'Give me an X, get an X for me with the fund'.

Funds for the Sangha or a group follow the same protocols.

Funds set up for one kind of lahubhaṇḍa may be used for another kind, with a decision via apalokana-kamma.

Funds set up for garubhaṇḍa (lodgings, furniture, etc.) may not be diverted for lahubhaṇḍa, but NP 20 allows the community to arrange garubhaṇḍa to be sold and purchase lahubhaṇḍa.

Examples: paying for electricity from the 'cat's fund' (lahubh. to lahubh.), selling land to buy another (garubh. to garubh.).

Restricted funds may only be used for the designated purpose (Trust law). Example: donation form selection options.

In the case of invitations, follow the four-month period protocol in Pc 47.

There is no exemption for relatives or people who have invited the bhikkhu to ask.

Object: A fund left with a steward to buy robe cloth, or any fund for any type of requisite (including construction or book printing).

Steward: a layperson or entity responsible for handling funds or transactions on behalf of a bhikkhu or group of bhikkhus.

Three types of stewards:

  • Indicated by the bhikkhu
    • The bhikkhu points the person out
    • The donor gives funds to the steward and tells the bhikkhu
  • Indicated by the donor or messenger
    • The donor or messenger chooses the steward and tells the bhikkhu
  • Indicated by neither
    • Someone overhears the conversation and volunteers to act as steward
    • The donor gives funds to the steward, but doesn't tell the bhikkhu

Given unknowingly, without consent: One may determine ahead of time (e.g. right now), "If at any time in the future I am given money without me being aware of it, I am not consenting to it as received and accepted for my sake."

Protocol for accepting funds

Allowable:

If you are asked who the steward is and you point out a layperson and say, "That person is the steward".

Unallowable:

  • Accepting money (see NP 18). You should tell the donor that bhikkhus don't accept money.
  • If a donor asks you who your steward is and you say, "Give it to him" or "He will keep it" (see NP 18).
  • If a donor asks you who your steward is and you say, "He will buy it" or "He will get it in exchange" (see NP 20).
  • If the donor asks, "Who should I give this to?" and you point someone out. A wise policy instead is to broach the topic of stewards so that the donor asks a question to which you may give an allowable answer.

NP 18, Gold, silver and money

A bhikkhu is forbidden to accept gifts of money, getting others to accept them, or consent to it being placed next to him.

Perception is not a mitigating factor.

Intention is not a mitigating factor. The bhikkhu may not accept the money for someone else's sake.

NP offense: the money is forfeit, can not be used for the benefit of bhikkhus.

Discussion: unaware of receiving money (wrapped in a bolt of cloth, hidden with food offerings).

When informing lay supporters who wish to make a donation, the proper language should be used, i.e. not giving them instruction what to do with their money.

If the donor does not intend the money for the bhikkhu (i.e. offering it to support the monastery in general), it is not an offense to allow them to place the money next to the bhikkhu.

If someone drops money into a bhikkhu's bowl against his protest, he may ask someone to remove it without an offense. The offense is incurred when he start walking away with it.

The term 'gold or silver' includes the materials, and whatever is used as currency.

A currency is:

  • used for the purpose of general exchange
  • have a standardized value
  • presentable by any bearer

Not a currency:

  • a money order or check made out to a specific person
  • credit- and debit cards
  • a store's voucher, gift card, or discount points
  • food stamps
  • promissory notes

Credit cards are not a currency, but are not allowable to use (see NP 20).

Inheritance: The executor holds the money before distributing it to the beneficiaries. The bhikkhu may advise the executor to put the money into a certain Trust.

A bhikkhu may own property, land (not for agriculture), houses, etc. but not the money to manage it.

In some monasteries two Trusts are setup, where one may only own land and property, and the other may only hold money.

Store credit: a lay person may leave money at a store, and arrange that they serve a bhikkhu using that credit when he asks (Amazon voucher, restaurant, pastry shop).

Non-offenses

There is no offense for a bhikkhu, in the monastery, to pick up gold or money and put it away for safe keeping.

NP 19, Selling or buying

This covers the case when a bhikkhu would instruct someone else to arrange the trade, without himself accepting the money.

There is no allowance for 'wording things right' (kappiya-vohāra).

A bhikkhu may advise a steward to sell some items and purchase others, but may not instruct them to sell something or invest money for profit. A bhikkhu may give instruction to order things for the monastery.

NP 20, Trade

Exchange of items with lay people or members of other sects.

Giving gifts to lay people at a meal invitation is a way of corrupting families (bhikkhus of the group of six were giving flowers, etc. to supporters).

Origin: Ven. Upananda exchanges a nicely made robe for a cloak with a wanderer, who later regrets the trade and wants it back.

Credit cards or checks don't count as currency, but any trade arranged with them would come under this rule.

Non-offenses

  • asking for the price
  • informing the steward or seller (e.g. "I have this. I need X") and letting the steward or seller arrange the exchange
  • if the other person is a bhikkhu or novice
  • saying, "Give X for Y" when engaging in trade with your parents
  • telling the steward, "Don't take it" when you think the steward is getting a bad deal

Further Reading

See also: Money and the Vinaya (PDF)