Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 24: The Training Rule on Rainy Season Robes.
- Translated from the Pali by Brahmali Bhikkhu.
Origin story
1
At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the Master had allowed the rainy season robe for the monks. Knowing that this was the case, some monks belonging to the group of six went looking for cloth for their rainy season robes early. After sewing them early, they wore them. Then, because their rainy season robes were worn, they bathed naked in the rain.
The monks of few desires … complained and criticised them: “How can those monks belonging to the group of six go looking for cloth for their rainy season robes early, sew them early and then wear them, and then, because their rainy season robes are worn, bathe naked in the rain?"
2 After criticising those monks many ways, they informed the Master. … “Is it true, monks, that you go looking for cloth for your rainy season robes early? That you sew them early and then wear them? And because your rainy season robes are worn, that you bathe naked in the rain?" “It’s true, Master." The Buddha, the Master, criticised them: “ … Foolish men, how can you go looking for cloth for your rainy season robes early, sew them early and then wear them, and then, because your rainy season robes are worn, bathe naked in the rain? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
3 “When there is a month left of the hot season, a monk may go looking for cloth for his rainy season robe. When there is a fortnight left, he may sew it and then wear it. If he goes looking for cloth for his rainy season robe when there is more than a month left of the hot season, or if he sews it and then wears it when there is more than a fortnight left, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession."
Definitions
4 When there is a month left of the hot season, a monk may go looking for cloth for his rainy season robe: he approaches those people who previously gave cloth for the rainy season robes, and he says to them: “It’s time for the rainy season robe; it’s the occasion for the rainy season robe; other people too are giving cloth for the rainy season robe." He should not say: “Give me cloth for the rainy season robe; bring me cloth for the rainy season robe; buy me cloth for the rainy season robe; get cloth in exchange for me for the rainy season robe."
5 When there is a fortnight left, he may sew it and then wear it: after sewing it during the last fortnight of the hot season, he may wear it.
6 When there is more than a month left of the hot season: if he goes looking for cloth for the rainy season robe when there is more than a month left of the hot season, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
7
When there is more than a fortnight left: if he wears it after sewing it when there is more than a fortnight left of the hot season, it becomes subject to relinquishment.
The rainy season robe is to be relinquished to a Sangha, a group, or an individual. “And, monks, it is to be relinquished in this way. … To be expanded as in Nissaggiya Pācittiya 1, verses 13 to 17 with appropriate substitutions. … ‘Bhante, this cloth for the rainy season robe which I went looking for when there was more than a month left of the hot season and which I wore after sewing it when there was more than a fortnight left of the hot season is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’ … the Sangha should give … the Venerables should give … “I give this cloth for the rainy season robe back to the Venerable."
Permutations
8 If there is more than a month left of the hot season, and he perceives it as more, and he goes looking for cloth for the rainy season robe, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If there is more than a month left of the hot season, but he has doubts about it, and he goes looking for cloth for the rainy season robe, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If there is more than a month left of the hot season, but he perceives it as less, and he goes looking for cloth for the rainy season robe, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
9 If there is more than a fortnight left of the hot season, and he perceives it as more, and he wears the rainy season robe after sewing it, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If there is more than a fortnight left of the hot season, but he has doubts about it, and he wears the rainy season robe after sewing it, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If there is more than a fortnight left of the hot season, but he perceives it as less, and he wears the rainy season robe after sewing it, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
10If he has a rainy season robe, but he bathes naked in the rain, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If there is less than a month left of the hot season, but he perceives it as more, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If there is less than a month left of the hot season, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If there is less than a month left of the hot season, and he perceives it as less, there is no offence.
11If there is less than a fortnight left of the hot season, but he perceives it as more, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If there is less than a fortnight left of the hot season, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If there is less than a fortnight left of the hot season, and he perceives it as less, there is no offence.
Non-offences
12There is no offence: if he goes looking for cloth for the rainy season robe when there is a month left of the hot season; if he wears the rainy season robe after sewing it when there is a fortnight left of the hot season; if he goes looking for cloth for the rainy season robe when there is less than a month left of the hot season; if he wears the rainy season robe after sewing it when there is less than a fortnight left of the hot season; if, after looking for a rainy season robe, he postpones the rains residence; if, after wearing a rainy season robe, he postpones the rains residence (in which case he should wash it and store it and then use it at the right time); if his robe has been stolen; if his robe has been lost; if there are dangers; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
13The fourth rule, the training rule on rainy season robes, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ vassikasāṭikā anuññātā hoti. chabbaggiyā bhikkhū— "bhagavatā vassikasāṭikā anuññātā"ti, paṭikacceva vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesanti, paṭikacceva katvā nivāsenti, jiṇṇāya vassikasāṭikāya naggā kāyaṃ ovassāpenti. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū paṭikacceva vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesissanti, paṭikacceva katvā nivāsessanti, jiṇṇāya vassikasāṭikāya naggā kāyaṃ ovassāpessantī"ti.
2 atha kho te bhikkhū chabbaggiye bhikkhū anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ … pe … "saccaṃ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, paṭikacceva vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesatha? paṭikacceva katvā nivāsetha? jiṇṇāya vassikasāṭikāya naggā kāyaṃ ovassāpethā"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tumhe moghapurisā, paṭikacceva vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesissatha, paṭikacceva katvā nivāsessatha, jiṇṇāya vassikasāṭikāya naggā kāyaṃ ovassāpessatha. netaṃ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
3 "‘māso seso gimhānan’ti bhikkhunā vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesitabbaṃ; ‘addhamāso seso gimhānan’ti katvā nivāsetabbaṃ. ‘orena ce māso seso gimhānan’ti vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyeseyya, ‘orenaddhamāso seso gimhānan’ti katvā nivāseyya, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyan"ti. (24:43)
4 "māso seso gimhānan"ti bhikkhunā vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesitabbanti. ye manussā pubbepi vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ denti te upasankamitvā evamassu vacanīyā— "kālo vassikasāṭikāya, samayo vassikasāṭikāya, aññepi manussā vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ dentī"ti. na vattabbā— "detha me vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ, āharatha me vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ, parivattetha me vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ, cetāpetha me vassikasāṭikacīvaran"ti.
5 "addhamāso seso gimhānan"ti katvā nivāsetabbanti. addhamāse sese gimhāne katvā nivāsetabbaṃ.
6 "orena ce māso seso gimhānan"ti atirekamāse sese gimhāne vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesati, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
7 "orenaddhamāso seso gimhānan"ti atirekaddhamāse sese gimhāne katvā nivāseti, nissaggiyaṃ hoti. nissajjitabbaṃ sanghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṃ … pe … "idaṃ me, bhante, vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ atirekamāse sese gimhāne pariyiṭṭhaṃ atirekaddhamāse sese gimhāne katvā paridahitaṃ nissaggiyaṃ. imāhaṃ sanghassa nissajjāmī"ti … pe … dadeyyāti … pe … dadeyyunti … pe … āyasmato dammīti.
8 atirekamāse sese gimhāne atirekasaññī vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesati, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. atirekamāse sese gimhāne vematiko vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesati, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. atirekamāse sese gimhāne ūnakasaññī vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesati, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
9 atirekaddhamāse sese gimhāne atirekasaññī katvā nivāseti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. atirekaddhamāse sese gimhāne vematiko katvā nivāseti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. atirekaddhamāse sese gimhāne ūnakasaññī katvā nivāseti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
10 satiyā vassikasāṭikāya naggo kāyaṃ ovassāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ūnakamāse sese gimhāne atirekasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ūnakamāse sese gimhāne vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ūnakamāse sese gimhāne ūnakasaññī, anāpatti.
11 ūnakaddhamāse sese gimhāne atirekasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ūnakaddhamāse sese gimhāne vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ūnakaddhamāse sese gimhāne ūnakasaññī, anāpatti.
12 anāpatti— "māso seso gimhānan"ti vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesati, "addhamāso seso gimhānan"ti katvā nivāseti, "ūnakamāso seso gimhānan"ti vassikasāṭikacīvaraṃ pariyesati, "ūnakaddhamāso seso gimhānan"ti katvā nivāseti, pariyiṭṭhāya vassikasāṭikāya vassaṃ ukkaḍḍhiyyati, nivatthāya vassikasāṭikāya vassaṃ ukkaḍḍhiyyati, dhovitvā nikkhipitabbaṃ; samaye nivāsetabbaṃ, acchinnacīvarassa, naṭṭhacīvarassa, āpadāsu, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.