1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. Now on that occasion the members of the king's retinue had assembled in the royal palace and were sitting together when the following conversation arose: "Gold and silver are allowable for the ascetics following the Sakyan son; the ascetics following the Sakyan son consent to gold and silver; the ascetics following the Sakyan son accept gold and silver."

2Now on that occasion Maṇicūḷaka the headman was sitting in that assembly. Then Maṇicūḷaka the headman said to that assembly: "Do not speak thus, masters. Gold and silver are not allowable for the ascetics following the Sakyan son; the ascetics following the Sakyan son do not consent to gold and silver; the ascetics following the Sakyan son do not accept gold and silver. They have renounced jewellery and gold; they have given up the use of gold and silver." [n.350] The rule is Nissaggiya-pacittiya No. 18; see Vin III 236–39 and Vin I 245,2–7. The sutta is cited at Vin II 296–97 as testimony for the prohibition against the acceptance of gold and silver by bhikkhus. At Vin III 238, "silver" is more broadly defined as including coins made of silver, copper, wood, or lac, or whatever serves as a medium of exchange. Its commentary (Sp III 690) extends this to include bone, hide, fruit, seeds, etc., whether imprinted with a figure or not. Thus in effect the expression "gold and silver" signifies money. On samaṇa sakyaputtiya, see II, n. 376. And Maṇicūḷaka was able to convince that assembly.

Then Maṇicūḷaka approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. sn.iv.326 Sitting to one side, he reported to the Blessed One all that had happened, adding: "I hope, venerable sir, that when I answered thus I stated what has been said by the Blessed One and did not misrepresent him with what is contrary to fact; that I explained in accordance with the Dhamma, and that no reasonable consequence of my statement gives ground for criticism."

3"For sure, headman, when you answered thus you stated what has been said by me and did not misrepresent me with what is contrary to fact; you explained in accordance with the Dhamma, and no reasonable consequence of your statement gives ground for criticism. For, headman, gold and silver are not allowable for the ascetics following the Sakyan son; the ascetics following the Sakyan son do not consent to gold and silver; the ascetics following the Sakyan son do not accept gold and silver. They have renounced jewellery and gold; they have given up the use of gold and silver. If gold and silver are allowable for anyone, the five cords of sensual pleasure are allowable for him. If the five cords of sensual pleasure are allowable for anyone, you can definitely consider him to be one who does not have the character of an ascetic or of a follower of the Sakyan son.

"Further, headman, I say this: ‘Straw may be sought by one needing straw; timber may be sought by one needing timber; a cart may be sought by one needing a cart; a workman may be sought by one needing a workman.’ sn.iv.327 But I do not say that there is any method by which gold and silver may be consented to or sought."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena rājantepure rājaparisāya sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: "kappati samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtiyānaṁ jātarūparajataṁ, sādiyanti samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jātarūparajataṁ, paṭiggaṇhanti samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jātarūparajatan"ti.

2Tena kho pana samayena maṇicūḷako gāmaṇi tassaṁ parisāyaṁ nisinno hoti. Atha kho maṇicūḷako gāmaṇi taṁ parisaṁ etadavoca: "mā ayyo evaṁ avacuttha. Na kappati samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtiyānaṁ jātarūparajataṁ, na sādiyanti samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jātarūparajataṁ, nappaṭiggaṇhanti samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jātarūparajataṁ, nikkhittamaṇisuvaṇṇā samaṇā sakyaputtiyā apetajātarūparajatā"ti. Asakkhi kho maṇicūḷako gāmaṇi taṁ parisaṁ saññāpetuṁ.

Atha kho maṇicūḷako gāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho maṇicūḷako gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "idha, bhante, rājantepure rājaparisāya sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: ‘kappati samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtiyānaṁ jātarūparajataṁ, sādiyanti samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jātarūparajataṁ, paṭiggaṇhanti samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jātarūparajatan’ti. Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, taṁ parisaṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘mā ayyo evaṁ avacuttha. Na kappati samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtiyānaṁ jātarūparajataṁ, na sādiyanti samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jātarūparajataṁ, nappaṭiggaṇhanti samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jātarūparajataṁ, nikkhittamaṇisuvaṇṇā samaṇā sakyaputtiyā apetajātarūparajatā’ti. Asakkhiṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ parisaṁ saññāpetuṁ. Kaccāhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ byākaramāno vuttavādī ceva bhagavato homi, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkhāmi, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākaromi, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgacchatī"ti?

3"Taggha tvaṁ, gāmaṇi, evaṁ byākaramāno vuttavādī ceva me hosi, na ca maṁ abhūtena abbhācikkhasi, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākarosi, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgacchati. Na hi, gāmaṇi, kappati samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtiyānaṁ jātarūparajataṁ, na sādiyanti samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jātarūparajataṁ, nappaṭiggaṇhanti samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jātarūparajataṁ, nikkhittamaṇisuvaṇṇā samaṇā sakyaputtiyā apetajātarūparajatā. Yassa kho, gāmaṇi, jātarūparajataṁ kappati, pañcapi tassa kāmaguṇā kappanti. Yassa pañca kāmaguṇā kappanti, ekaṁsenetaṁ, gāmaṇi, dhāreyyāsi assamaṇadhammo asakyaputtiyadhammoti.

Api cāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, evaṁ vadāmi – tiṇaṁ tiṇatthikena pariyesitabbaṁ, dāru dārutthikena pariyesitabbaṁ, sakaṭaṁ sakaṭatthikena pariyesitabbaṁ, puriso purisatthikena pariyesitabbo. Na tvevāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, kenaci pariyāyena ‘jātarūparajataṁ sāditabbaṁ pariyesitabban’ti vadāmī"ti.

Dasamaṁ.