Here is a video I made on the rules regarding money.
Description:
In this educational video on the monk’s rules, we explore the ethical guidelines for supporting monks without monetary donations, as outlined in the Vinaya. Discover why direct financial contributions are prohibited and how these rules help prevent corruption within monastic communities. We delve into the Nissaggiya Pācittiya rules, focusing on the specific precepts that guide monastic conduct related to handling money. Learn about alternative ways to offer support through kappiyas (stewards), direct and indirect prompts for necessities, and the role of gift cards in maintaining Vinaya compliance. Join us as we discuss the principles of righteous giving and how to ensure your contributions foster a pure practice for monks. Ideal for lay supporters seeking to understand and practice ethical giving in line with Theravāda Buddhist teachings.
In the Manapadayi Sutta and Asadisa dana of Mallika, the donator has offered allowables and unallowables both with a verbal notice “I know this is unallowable”(an unallowable chair and ‘royal girls’ were offered respectively). Then the reciever takes only the allowable part. But the donations were considered to be utmost fruitful, especially the second one was the best donation in the Sasana.
How would it be if someone offered money in the above way?
Always good to have chatgpt pro version by my side. It really helps.
Always good to check the commentary to the sutta, especially if you can read pāḷi better than me.
The answer is given in the commentary to that sutta:
4. manāpadāyīsuttavaṇṇanā
netaṃ bhagavato kappatīti ettha akappiyaṃ upādāya kappiyampi na kappatīti vuttaṃ,
“‘This is not permissible for the Blessed One,’ means that if something is not permissible, then even the permissible becomes impermissible when mixed with it.”
“However, the merchant had everything brought together into a heap, sent the impermissible items to the market, and provided the permissible items for consumption and use.”
Hello Venerable Sir,
This is interesting. Nowadays, there are many meditation centers with different methods. There are some meditation centers in Myanmar that teaches fast breathing and other centers that teaches using the nimitta to visit heaven or other places. Do these meditation centers follow the Vinaya? Which meditation centers follow the Vinaya in Myanmar?
Almost no meditation centers have a standard or requirement to follow vinaya except pa-auk. However some meditation centers might have some type of setup where it is possible to follow vinaya. I cannot give names or examples.
The best thing to do is visit the place. Ask the chief teacher in an unallowable way if it is possible to give $1000 directly to him right now. Then you will get your answer. You are just asking if it is possible to give. It is not an agreement. Whatever he says… you can just say you were testing him. If he doesn’t use money, he frown will turn into smile. If he uses money, watch the smile turn into a frown. It might not always be like this, but depending on the teacher, it might be likely.
Thank you, Venerable Sir. I feel so lucky that I found the Pa Auk Sayadaw’s books and videos. That’s why I believe in the visuddhimagga and commentaries. I actually visited the Pa Auk monastery back in 2023. The Pa Auk monastery was so peaceful and calm. I also met the Pa Auk Sayadaw. I couldn’t believe my eyes because I was seeing him in real life. I wanted to meet him for so long and I actually got to meet him. I offered some useful items like towel, tissues, face masks (for protection against COVID), toothbrush, and toothpaste. I wish I could’ve stayed long enough to meditate.
Oh… you should not ask the monk, do you break this rule or that rule. That would not be appropriate. Instead, you can just see if he is willing to accept money right then and there. This is the appropriate way.
However, you should not give unallowable gifts. You are only asking if it is possible to give $1000 to him directly right now. It is not a promise to give. You are only asking if it is possible. Feel free to try that at Pa-Auk and other meditation centers.
Hello Venerable Sir, unallowable gifts would be things like money, alcohol, cigarettes, and other bad things? Is it possible for anagamis and arahants to smoke?
If I try this at a monastery and a monk gets angry at me, what should I do?
If you know they use money, don’t do this. This is just if you think they don’t use money and don’t know for sure.
A good case is where the monks are very well behaved, they look like they follow the rules, but it is difficult to know.
Don’t give these other items or even ask about giving.
As for smoking, that is the big debate the Thai forest tradition has because many of the forest masters smoked or chewed beatle nut. They claim it is habitual kamma. As an ex smoker who has quit in the early 90’s, I don’t see why an arahant would not be able to quit if he were asked. During the time of the earlier Thai masters, doctors in the USA were smoking inside the clinics. I remember even in the 70’s. As I have heard, Ajahn Chah was asked to quit smoking. He successfully quit and then made it a rule for his lineage.
Dhammayut sect allows smoking and chewing and calls it medicine.
Even Ajahn Thannisaro (Dhammayut) defends smoking as a medicine since nose tubes are mentioned in Pali. I’m perfectly fine with monks inhaling smoke with only their noses and doing so through tubes, but I’m not okay with cigarettes as a medicine.
I’d like to know the items that are not allowable according to the Vinaya.
There are some Burmese medicine where someone has to inhale it through their nose. I guess that counts as nose tubes. I don’t think cigarettes are ever used as a medicine, so there isn’t really a valid excuse for smoking cigarettes. I also don’t think beatle nut are appropriate for monks because even well-behaved and educated laypeople don’t chew them, so monks also shouldn’t chew beatle nut because they are supposed to be someone laypeople can look up to and admire.
