Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 27: The Long Training Rule on Weavers.
- 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 a man who was going away said to his wife: “Weigh some thread, take it to the weavers, get them to weave a robe, and put the robe aside. When I return I will give it to Venerable Upananda."
A monk who was walking for almsfood heard that man speaking those words. He then went to Venerable Upananda and said: “Upananda, you have much merit. In such-and-such a place I heard a man, as he was going away, tell his wife to get a robe woven so that he could give it to you when he returned."
“He’s my supporter." And the weaver was Venerable Upananda’s supporter too.
2
Then Venerable Upananda went to that weaver and said: “This robe that you are weaving for me, make it long and wide. And make it closely woven, well-woven, well-stretched, well-scraped, and well-combed."
“Bhante, they have already weighed and given me the thread, saying, ‘Weave the robe with this thread.’ I won’t be not able to make it long, wide, or closely woven. However, I’m able to make it well-woven, well-stretched, well-scraped, and well-combed."
“Just make it long, wide, and closely woven. There will be no lack of thread."
3
Then, when all the thread had been used up, that weaver went to that woman and said: “Madam, I need more thread."
“But, Sir, didn’t I tell you to weave the robe with that thread?"
“You did. But Venerable Upananda told me to make it long, wide, and closely woven. And he said there would be no lack of thread." That woman then gave him as much thread again as she had done the first time.
Soon Venerable Upananda heard that that man had returned from his travels, and he went to his house and sat down on a prepared seat. That man then approached him, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. He then said to his wife: “Has the robe been woven?"
“Yes it has."
“Please bring it, I will give it to Venerable Upananda."
She then got the robe and gave it to her husband. And she informed him of what had happened. He gave the robe to Venerable Upananda, but later he grumbled and complained: “These Sakyan ascetics have great desires; they are not content. It’s no easy matter to give them a robe. How could Venerable Upananda go to the weavers and specify the kind of robe he wanted without first being an invited by me?"
4 Monks heard the complaints of that man, and the monks of few desires … complained and criticised Venerable Upananda: “How can Venerable Upananda go to a householder’s weavers and specify the kind of robe he wants without first being invited?"
5
After criticising him in many ways, they informed the Master. … “Is it true, Upananda, that you went to a householder’s weavers and specified the kind of robe you wanted without first being invited?"
“It’s true, Master."
“Is he a relative of yours?"
“No, Master."
“Foolish man, people who are not related do not know what is appropriate and what is inappropriate in dealing with each other, what is right and what is wrong. And still you went to the weavers of an unrelated householder and specified the kind of robe you wanted without first being invited. This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
6 “If a male or female householder is getting robe-cloth woven by weavers for an unrelated monk and, without first being invited, that monk goes to those weavers and specifies the kind of robe-cloth he wants, saying, ‘Sirs, this robe-cloth that you are weaving for me, make it long and wide; make it closely woven, well-woven, well-stretched, well-scraped, and well-combed; and perhaps I will even give the Venerables a small gift;’ then in saying that and afterwards giving them a small gift, even if it is only a bit of almsfood, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession."
Definitions
7 For a monk: for the benefit of a monk; making a monk the object, he wishes to give to the monk.
8 Unrelated: anyone who is not a descendent of one’s male ancestors going back seven generations, either on the mother’s side or on the father’s side.
9 Male householder: any man who lives in a house.
10Female householder: any woman who lives in a house.
11By weavers: by those who weave.
12Robe-cloth: one of the six kinds of robe-cloth, For the six kinds, see Khandaka 8 (Mv 8) but not smaller than what can be placed under shared ownership. This means not smaller than 16 by 8 cm; see Khandaka 8 (Mv 8) verse 123">
13Is getting woven: is causing to weave.
14If [ … ] that monk: the monk for whom the robe-cloth is being woven.
15Without first being invited: without it first being said: “Bhante, what kind of robe-cloth do you need? What kind of robe-cloth should I get woven for you?"
16Goes to those weavers: having gone to their house or having gone wherever.
17Specifies the kind of robe-cloth he wants: "Sirs, this robe-cloth that you are weaving for me, make it long and wide; make it closely woven, well-woven, well-stretched, well-scraped, and well-combed; and perhaps I will even give the Venerables a small gift".
18Then in saying that and afterwards giving them a small gift, even if it is only a bit of almsfood:
Almsfood: rice porridge, a meal, non-staple food, a piece of chunam, a toothwood, a piece of thread, and even if he speaks Dhamma.
19If the weaver makes it long or wide or closely woven because of his statement, then in the act of speaking, he commits an offence of bad conduct. When he gets it, it becomes subject to relinquishment. The robe-cloth 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 robe-cloth for which I went to the weavers of an unrelated householder and specified the kind of robe-cloth I wanted without first being invited is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’ … the Sangha should give … the Venerables should give … “I give this robe-cloth back to the Venerable."
Permutations
20If the householder is unrelated and the monk perceives them as unrelated and, without first being invited, he approaches the householder’s weavers and specifies the kind of robe-cloth he wants, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If the householder is unrelated, but the monk has doubts about it and, without first being invited, he approaches the householder’s weavers and specifies the kind of robe-cloth he wants, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If the householder is unrelated, but the monk perceives them as related and, without first being invited, he approaches the householder’s weavers and specifies the kind of robe-cloth he wants, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
21If the householder is related, but the monk perceive them a unrelated, he commit an offence of bad conduct. If the householder is related, but the monk has doubts about it, he commit an offence of bad conduct. If the householder is related and the monk perceive them as related, there is no offence.
Non-offences
22There is no offence: if it is from relatives; if it is from those who have given an invitation; if it is for the benefit of someone else; if it is by means of his own property; if someone wants to get expensive robe-cloth woven, but he gets them to weave inexpensive robe-cloth; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
23The seventh rule, the long training rule on weavers, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena aññataro puriso pavāsaṃ gacchanto pajāpatiṃ etadavoca— "suttaṃ dhārayitvā amukassa tantavāyassa dehi, cīvaraṃ vāyāpetvā nikkhipa, āgato ayyaṃ upanandaṃ cīvarena acchādessāmī"ti. assosi kho aññataro piṇḍacāriko bhikkhu tassa purisassa imaṃ vācaṃ bhāsamānassa. atha kho so bhikkhu yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasankami; upasankamitvā āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ etadavoca— "mahāpuññosi tvaṃ, āvuso upananda, amukasmiṃ okāse aññataro puriso pavāsaṃ gacchanto pajāpatiṃ etadavoca— ‘suttaṃ dhārayitvā amukassa tantavāyassa dehi, cīvaraṃ vāyāpetvā nikkhipa, āgato ayyaṃ upanandaṃ cīvarena acchādessāmī’"ti. "atthāvuso, maṃ so upaṭṭhāko"ti. sopi kho tantavāyo āyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa upaṭṭhāko hoti.
2 atha kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto yena so tantavāyo tenupasankami; upasankamitvā taṃ tantavāyaṃ etadavoca— "idaṃ kho, āvuso, cīvaraṃ maṃ uddissa viyyati; āyatañca karohi vitthatañca. appitañca suvītañca suppavāyitañca suvilekhitañca suvitacchitañca karohī"ti. "ete kho me, bhante, suttaṃ dhārayitvā adaṃsu; iminā suttena cīvaraṃ vināhī"ti. "na, bhante, sakkā āyataṃ vā vitthataṃ vā appitaṃ vā kātuṃ. sakkā ca kho, bhante, suvītañca suppavāyitañca suvilekhitañca suvitacchitañca kātun"ti. "ingha tvaṃ, āvuso, āyatañca karohi vitthatañca appitañca. na tena suttena paṭibaddhaṃ bhavissatī"ti.
3 atha kho so tantavāyo yathābhataṃ suttaṃ tante upanetvā yena sā itthī tenupasankami; upasankamitvā taṃ itthiṃ etadavoca— "suttena, ayye, attho"ti. "nanu tvaṃ ayyo mayā vutto— ‘iminā suttena cīvaraṃ vināhī’"ti. "saccāhaṃ, ayye, tayā vutto— ‘iminā suttena cīvaraṃ vināhī’ti. api ca maṃ ayyo upanando evamāha— ‘ingha tvaṃ, āvuso, āyatañca karohi vitthatañca appitañca, na tena suttena paṭibaddhaṃ bhavissatī’"ti. atha kho sā itthī yattakaṃyeva suttaṃ paṭhamaṃ adāsi tattakaṃ pacchā adāsi. assosi kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto— "so kira puriso pavāsato āgato"ti. atha kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto yena tassa purisassa nivesanaṃ tenupasankami; upasankamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. atha kho so puriso yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasankami; upasankamitvā āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. ekamantaṃ nisinno kho so puriso pajāpatiṃ etadavoca— "vītaṃ taṃ cīvaran"ti? "āmāyya, vītaṃ taṃ cīvaran"ti. "āhara, ayyaṃ upanandaṃ cīvarena acchādessāmī"ti. atha kho sā itthī taṃ cīvaraṃ nīharitvā sāmikassa datvā etamatthaṃ ārocesi. atha kho so puriso āyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa cīvaraṃ datvā ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti— "mahicchā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā asantuṭṭhā. nayime sukarā cīvarena acchādetuṃ. kathañhi nāma ayyo upanando mayā pubbe appavārito tantavāye upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjissatī"ti.
4 assosuṃ kho bhikkhū tassa purisassa ujjhāyantassa khiyyantassa vipācentassa. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjissatī"ti.
5 atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ … pe … "saccaṃ kira tvaṃ, upananda, pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjī"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. "ñātako te, upananda, aññātako"ti? "aññātako, bhagavā"ti. "aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātakassa na jānāti patirūpaṃ vā appatirūpaṃ vā santaṃ vā asantaṃ vā. tattha nāma tvaṃ, moghapurisa, pubbe appavārito aññātakassa gahapatikassa tantavāye upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjissasi. netaṃ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
6 "bhikkhuṃ paneva uddissa aññātako gahapati vā gahapatānī vā tantavāyehi cīvaraṃ vāyāpeyya, tatra ce so bhikkhu pubbe appavārito tantavāye upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjeyya— ‘idaṃ kho, āvuso, cīvaraṃ maṃ uddissa viyyati. āyatañca karotha vitthatañca. appitañca suvītañca suppavāyitañca suvilekhitañca suvitacchitañca karotha. appeva nāma mayampi āyasmantānaṃ kiñcimattaṃ anupadajjeyyāmā’ti. evañca so bhikkhu vatvā kiñcimattaṃ anupadajjeyya antamaso piṇḍapātamattampi, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyan"ti. (27:46)
7 bhikkhuṃ paneva uddissāti bhikkhussatthāya bhikkhuṃ ārammaṇaṃ karitvā bhikkhuṃ acchādetukāmo.
8 aññātako nāma mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddho.
9 gahapati nāma yo koci agāraṃ ajjhāvasati.
10 gahapatānī nāma yā kāci agāraṃ ajjhāvasati.
12 cīvaraṃ nāma channaṃ cīvarānaṃ aññataraṃ cīvaraṃ vikappanupagaṃ pacchimaṃ.
14 tatra ce so bhikkhūti yaṃ bhikkhuṃ uddissa cīvaraṃ viyyati so bhikkhu.
15 pubbe appavāritoti pubbe avutto hoti— "kīdisena te, bhante, cīvarena attho, kīdisaṃ te cīvaraṃ vāyāpemī"ti?
16 tantavāye upasankamitvāti gharaṃ gantvā yattha katthaci upasankamitvā.
17 cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjeyyāti— "idaṃ kho, āvuso, cīvaraṃ maṃ uddissa viyyati, āyatañca karotha vitthatañca. appitañca suvītañca suppavāyitañca suvilekhitañca suvitacchitañca karotha. appeva nāma mayampi āyasmantānaṃ kiñcimattaṃ anupadajjeyyāmā"ti.
18 evañca so bhikkhu vatvā kiñcimattaṃ anupadajjeyya antamaso piṇḍapātamattampīti. piṇḍapāto nāma yāgupi bhattampi khādanīyampi cuṇṇapiṇḍopi dantakaṭṭhampi dasikasuttampi, antamaso dhammampi bhaṇati.
19 tassa vacanena āyataṃ vā vitthataṃ vā appitaṃ vā karoti, payoge dukkaṭaṃ. paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṃ hoti. nissajjitabbaṃ sanghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṃ … pe … "idaṃ me, bhante, cīvaraṃ pubbe appavārito aññātakassa gahapatikassa tantavāye upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpannaṃ nissaggiyaṃ. imāhaṃ sanghassa nissajjāmī"ti … pe … dadeyyāti … pe … dadeyyunti … pe … āyasmato dammīti.
20 aññātake aññātakasaññī pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjati, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātake vematiko pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjati, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātake ñātakasaññī pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjati, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
21 ñātake añātakasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātake vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātake ñātakasaññī, anāpatti.
22 anāpatti— ñātakānaṃ, pavāritānaṃ, aññassatthāya, attano dhanena, mahagghaṃ vāyāpetukāmassa appagghaṃ vāyāpeti, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.