四分戒本疏卷第一．第二．第三 2.72

2.72

The eighteenth precept: on storing precious substances. / 1. Intention of the prohibition: precious substances are inherently of great value; they increase greed and obstruct the Path, tend to give rise to disputes and contention, and invite worldly criticism; therefore the Holy One prohibited them, not allowing them to be received or stored. Yet because they sustain life, an exception was made to hand them over to laypeople to trade for permissible items and then receive them. Hence the Sarvāstivāda-vinaya-vibhāṣā states that the precept was formulated for monks because of three benefits: first, to stop slander; second, to extinguish and avert disputes; third, to bring about the noble lineage's practice of contentment. / 2. Explaining the name: storing for one's own use and claiming as one's own is termed "storing"; what is cherished and valued by the mind is called "precious substances"; hence it is called the precept on storing precious substances. / 3. Fulfillment of conditions: the general conditions are as above; there are four specific conditions: 1. It is money or precious substances; 2. Knowing it is money or precious substances; 3. Doing so for oneself; 4. Accepting and taking it, an offense is immediately committed. / 4. Deficient conditions: if the first condition is lacking, one commits a duṣkṛta; as for precious substances, gold, silver, and coins are such; storing other counterfeit precious items incurs a minor offense. If the second condition is lacking, one commits a duṣkṛta, due to mistaken perception or doubt. If the third or fourth condition is lacking, there is no offense. Below, the precept text itself is clarified. This precept arose because the monk Upananda committed a fault, incurring severe criticism from laypeople; the Buddha then instituted the precept.