I wonder how many beginner Buddhists, not just non-Buddhists,
know about the reasons for this prohibition and the consequences
for having deliberately or unwittingly committed it.
It is this: No property or belonging of the monastic order should
be taken without the express permission given by the abbot or monks
in charge of that particular property or belonging.
That includes, every single drop of flower petal on the temple's
floor, any fruits if riped or unripe that are found on the floor or
fallen from the tree. Even if there are things thrown into the
rubbish bin of the temple, you are not to take them for personal
keeping or use or for others unless express permission is sought.
This is what I have heard and read from audio-visual materials and
related Buddhist books. I do not know how true and how exact this
is as I have not yet personally consulted a Venerable for details.
Even though some sutras speak of this, I have not yet had the
chance to come across sutras that discuss about this rule and its
karmic consequences in great details.
Most temples now have tourists visiting them, other than just local
people. However not many know the karmic consequences of even just
picking up things found on the floor of the temple for personal
keeping.
I do not wish to frighten anyone here, but yet I feel it is very
important that they should know. Whether they believe after reading
or hearing about this is their own personal decision.
The negative karmic results for having
playfully/wilfully/unwittingly commited this act is so severe that
I remember one sutra quoted a Bodhisattva who said this: "I might
be able to save those who break the five or eight precepts, but I
cannot save those that take without permission the property or
belongings of the monastic order." I'm not sure as to the exact
accuracy of this quote word by word, but the last sentence
concerning 'I cannot save....", I do believe I had not remembered
it wrongly.
So my message to fellow Buddhists and Buddhist organisations is: Do
your best to help fellow layman, Buddhist or non-Buddhists, to
avoid committing this serious act. Put up signs in languages that
cater to the masses in your country. Have monks in charge of
certain areas or belongings to explain this prohibition in a
non-Buddhist way, patiently and tactfully, so as to avoid
frightening people, even though what we know may be the Truth and
nothing but the Truth. The last thing we want is for people to
avoid Buddha's teachings like the devil/cult/plague.
May the Dharma continue to be heard by as many people as possible
in this Dharma-Ending Age. May all be able to gain fast and
ultimate deliverance from all sufferings and gain ultimate bliss in
this lifetime or in just a few lifetimes.
Amituofo! ^_^
for a more clearer understanding , please go to read the
fourfold books of precepts under the Vinaya School.
First,stuff thrown inside a trashbin is no master property , I
just wonder what kind of evil karma is it talking abt when its
belongs to the rubbish
2nd some of the understanding is wrong ,its not really true
.
the bodhisattva means the "intention to take without permission
" stuff from the property in use by the Sangha, which does not
include the trash.If in such way , doesnt temple not allow to throw
the trash away , as it still belong to the sangha ?
there must be wisdom understanding what this object referring
to ,else it will sound Buddhism is a religion for the
no-brainer
