Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 3: Not to keep robe cloth more than one month at a time.
- Translated from the Pali by Brahmali Bhikkhu..
Origin story
1At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍikaʼs Park. At that time a certain monk had been offered robe clothCīvara means both a finished robe and any cloth that can be used to make a robe. Thus I vary my translation with the context. outside of the robe season. While he was making the robe, he realised there was not enough cloth. Lifting it up, he smoothed it out again and again.
The point, according to the commentary, is that he was trying to increase its size.
While inspecting the lodgings, the Master saw that monk acting in this way. He approached him and said: "Monk, what are you doing?"
"Bhante, I have received this robe cloth outside of the robe season, but itʼs not enough to make a robe. This is why I lift it up and smooth it out again and again."
"Do you expect to receive more cloth?"
"I do, Master."
The Master then spoke on the Dhamma and addressed the monks: "Monks, I allow you to keep robe cloth if you expect to receive more."
2When they knew that the Master had given this allowance, some monks kept robe cloth for over a month, even though it was outside the robe season. They kept it tied up in a bundle on a robe rack.
While inspecting the lodgings, Venerable Ānanda saw that robe cloth, and he asked the monks: "Whose robe cloth is this?"
"It is our out-of-season robe cloth, which we are keeping because we are expecting more cloth."
"How long have you kept this cloth?"
"Over a month."
3Venerable Ānanda complained and criticised them: "How can these monks keep out-of-season robe cloth for over a month?"
After criticising those monks in many ways, Venerable Ānanda informed the Master. … "Is it true, monks, that some monks keep out-of-season robe cloth for over a month?"
"Itʼs true, Master."
The Buddha, the Master, criticised them: " … How could these foolish men keep out-of-season robe cloth for over a month? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
4"When his robe is finished and the kathina period has ended, if out-of-season robe cloth is offered to a monk, he may receive it if he wishes. If he receives it, he should quickly make a robe. If there is not enough cloth, but he expects to get more, he should keep it at most one month to make up the lack. If he keeps it beyond that, even if he expects more cloth, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession."
Definitions
5When his robe is finished: the monk has made a robe, or it has been lost, destroyed, or burnt, or he abandons his expectation of receiving robe cloth.This refers to the kathina season robe. For details see Mv 7.2–7.12.
6The kathina period has ended: it has ended according to one of the eight headings or it is ended by the Sangha, whichever comes first. For an explanation of this see Mv 7.1.7 and Mv 7.2–7.12.
7Out-of-season robe cloth: If the kathina ceremony has not been performed, robe cloth offered during the eleven months. That is, in-season robe cloth is cloth received during the last month of the rainy season, while out-of-season robe cloth is cloth received during the remaining eleven months of the year. See Kkh 101,28. If the kathina ceremony has been performed, robe cloth offered during the seven months. That is, in-season robe cloth is cloth received during the last month of the rainy season or during the cold season, while out-of-season robe cloth is cloth received during the remaining seven months of the year. See Kkh 101,28. Also, if it is given in the robe season, but it is designated as out-of-season cloth, it is called out-of-season robe cloth. See Kkh 102,1.
8If (it) is offered: if offered by a Sangha, by a group, by relatives, or by friends, or if he gets rags, or if he gets it by means his own property.
9If he wishes: if he desires, he may receive it.
10If he receives it, he should quickly make a robe: it should be made within ten days.That is, in accordance with the first rule of this section, Relinquishment 1.
11If there is not enough cloth: if there is not enough cloth when the robe is being made.
12He should keep it at most one month: he should keep it for one month at most.
13To make up the lack: for the purpose of making up the lack.
14But he expects to get more: he expects to get more from the Sangha, from a group, from relatives, from friends, or he expects to get rags, or he expects to get it by means of his own property.
15If he keeps it beyond that, even if he expects more cloth:
If he receives the expected robe cloth on the same day as when he received the original robe cloth, it must be made into a robe within ten days. If he receives the expected robe cloth two days after
The Pali idiom is such that this means on the day after he received the original piece of cloth. (Cf. the definition of ten days in Relinquishment 1, where the eleventh dawn means the tenth dawn after one received the cloth.) The way this works, it seems, is that the day on which the cloth was received counts as one. he received the original robe cloth, it must be made into a robe within ten days. If he receives the expected robe cloth three days after … four days after … five days after … six days after … seven days after … eight days after … nine days after … ten days after … eleven days after … twelve days after … thirteen days after … fourteen days after … fifteen days after … sixteen days after … seventeen days after … eighteen days after … nineteen days after … twenty days after he received the original robe cloth, it must be made into a robe within ten days. If he receives the expected robe cloth twenty-one days after he received the original robe cloth, it must be made into a robe within nine days. If he receives the expected robe cloth twenty-two days after he received the original robe cloth, it must be made into a robe within eight days. … twenty-three days after … twenty-four days after … twenty-five days after … twenty-six days after … twenty-seven days after … twenty-eight days after … twenty-nine days … thirty days. Again, according to the commentarial way of counting this refers to the twenty-ninth dawn after the original cloth was received. See the previous note. after he received the original robe cloth, it must be determined, placed under shared ownership, or given away on that very day. If he does not determine it, place it under shared ownership, or give it away, he commits the offence entailing relinquishment at dawn on the thirty-first day. That is, on the thirtieth dawn after he received the robe.
The 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 Relinquishment 1, MS paragraphs 1873–1877, with appropriate substitutions. … ʻBhante, this out-of-season robe cloth of mine, which I have kept for more than a month, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.ʼ … the Sangha should give … the Venerables should give … ʻI give this robe back to the Venerable.ʼ"
16If he receives the expected robe cloth, but it is different from the robe cloth originally received, and there are days remaining, he does not have to make a robe against his wishes.
Permutations
17If it is more than a month and he perceives it as more than a month, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is more than a month, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is more than a month, but he perceives it as less than a month, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
If it is undetermined, but he perceives it as determined, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is not placed under shared ownership, but he perceives it as placed under shared ownership, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is not given away, but he perceives it as given away, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is not lost, but he perceives it as lost, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is not destroyed, but he perceives it as destroyed, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is not burnt, but he perceives it as burnt, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is not stolen, but he perceives it as stolen, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
18If he uses a robe which is to be relinquished without first relinquishing it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is less than a month, but he perceives it as more than a month, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is less than a month, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is less than a month and he perceives it as less than a month, there is no offence.
Non-offences
19There is no offence: if within a month it is determined, placed under shared ownership, given away, lost, destroyed, burnt, stolen, or taken on trust; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
20The third rule, the third training rule on the kathina period, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena aññatarassa bhikkhuno akālacīvaraṃ uppannaṃ hoti. tassa taṃ cīvaraṃ kayiramānaṃ nappahoti. atha kho so bhikkhu taṃ cīvaraṃ ussāpetvā punappunaṃ vimajjati. addasā kho bhagavā senāsanacārikaṃ āhiṇḍanto taṃ bhikkhuṃ taṃ cīvaraṃ ussāpetvā punappunaṃ vimajjantaṃ. disvāna yena so bhikkhu tenupasankami; upasankamitvā taṃ bhikkhuṃ etadavoca— "kissa tvaṃ, bhikkhu, imaṃ cīvaraṃ ussāpetvā punappunaṃ vimajjasī"ti? "idaṃ me, bhante, akālacīvaraṃ uppannaṃ. kayiramānaṃ nappahoti. tenāhaṃ imaṃ cīvaraṃ ussāpetvā punappunaṃ vimajjāmī"ti. "atthi pana te, bhikkhu, cīvarapaccāsā"ti? "atthi, bhagavā"ti. atha kho bhagavā etasmiṃ nidāne etasmiṃ pakaraṇe dhammiṃ kathaṃ katvā, bhikkhū āmantesi— "anujānāmi, bhikkhave, akālacīvaraṃ paṭiggahetvā cīvarapaccāsā nikkhipitun"ti.
2 tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū— "bhagavatā anuññātaṃ akālacīvaraṃ paṭiggahetvā cīvarapaccāsā nikkhipitun"ti akālacīvarāni paṭiggahetvā atirekamāsaṃ nikkhipanti. tāni cīvarāni cīvaravaṃse bhaṇḍikābaddhāni tiṭṭhanti. addasā kho āyasmā ānando senāsanacārikaṃ āhiṇḍanto tāni cīvarāni cīvaravaṃse bhaṇḍikābaddhāni tiṭṭhante. disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi— "kassimāni, āvuso, cīvarāni cīvaravaṃse bhaṇḍikābaddhāni tiṭṭhantī"ti? "amhākaṃ, āvuso, akālacīvarāni cīvarapaccāsā nikkhittānī"ti. "kīvaciraṃ panāvuso, imāni cīvarāni nikkhittānī"ti? "atirekamāsaṃ, āvuso"ti. āyasmā ānando ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti— "kathañhi nāma bhikkhū akālacīvaraṃ paṭiggahetvā atirekamāsaṃ nikkhipissantī"ti.
3 atha kho āyasmā ānando te bhikkhū anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesi … pe … "saccaṃ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhū akālacīvaraṃ paṭiggahetvā atirekamāsaṃ nikkhipantī"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma te, bhikkhave, moghapurisā akālacīvaraṃ paṭiggahetvā atirekamāsaṃ nikkhipissanti. netaṃ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
4 "niṭṭhitacīvarasmiṃ bhikkhunā ubbhatasmiṃ kathine bhikkhuno paneva akālacīvaraṃ uppajjeyya, ākankhamānena bhikkhunā paṭiggahetabbaṃ. paṭiggahetvā khippameva kāretabbaṃ. no cassa pāripūri, māsaparamaṃ tena bhikkhunā taṃ cīvaraṃ nikkhipitabbaṃ ūnassa pāripūriyā satiyā paccāsāya. tato ce uttari nikkhipeyya, satiyāpi paccāsāya, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyan"ti. (3:22)
5 niṭṭhitacīvarasminti bhikkhuno cīvaraṃ kataṃ vā hoti naṭṭhaṃ vā vinaṭṭhaṃ vā daḍḍhaṃ vā cīvarāsā vā upacchinnā.
6 ubbhatasmiṃ kathineti aṭṭhannaṃ mātikānaṃ aññatarāya mātikāya ubbhataṃ hoti, saṇghena vā antarā ubbhataṃ hoti.
7 akālacīvaraṃ nāma anatthate kathine ekādasamāse uppannaṃ, atthate kathine sattamāse uppannaṃ, kālepi ādissa dinnaṃ, etaṃ akālacīvaraṃ nāma.
8 uppajjeyyāti uppajjeyya saṇghato vā gaṇato vā ñātito vā mittato vā paṃsukūlaṃ vā attano vā dhanena.
9 ākankhamānenāti icchamānena paṭiggahetabbaṃ.
10 paṭiggahetvā khippameva kāretabbanti dasāhā kāretabbaṃ.
11 no cassa pāripūrīti kayiramānaṃ nappahoti.
12 māsaparamaṃ tena bhikkhunā taṃ cīvaraṃ nikkhipitabbanti māsaparamatā nikkhipitabbaṃ.
13 ūnassa pāripūriyāti ūnassa pāripūratthāya.
14 satiyā paccāsāyāti paccāsā hoti saṇghato vā gaṇato vā ñātito vā mittato vā paṃsukūlaṃ vā attano vā dhanena.
15 tato ce uttari nikkhipeyya satiyāpi paccāsāyāti tadahuppanne mūlacīvare paccāsācīvaraṃ uppajjati, dasāhā kāretabbaṃ. dvīhuppanne mūlacīvare paccāsācīvaraṃ uppajjati, dasāhā kāretabbaṃ. tīhuppanne mūlacīvare … pe … catūhuppanne … pañcāhuppanne … chāhuppanne … sattāhuppanne … aṭṭhāhuppanne … navāhuppanne … dasāhuppanne mūlacīvare paccāsācīvaraṃ uppajjati, dasāhā kāretabbaṃ. ekādase uppanne … pe … dvādase uppanne … terase uppanne … cuddase uppanne … pannarase uppanne … soḷase uppanne … sattarase uppanne … aṭṭhārase uppanne … ekūnavīse uppanne … vīse uppanne mūlacīvare paccāsācīvaraṃ uppajjati, dasāhā kāretabbaṃ. ekavīse uppanne mūlacīvare paccāsācīvaraṃ uppajjati, navāhā kāretabbaṃ. dvāvīse uppanne … pe … tevīse uppanne … catuvīse uppanne … pañcavīse uppanne … chabbīse uppanne … sattavīse uppanne … aṭṭhavīse uppanne … ekūnatiṃse uppanne mūlacīvare paccāsācīvaraṃ uppajjati, ekāhaṃ kāretabbaṃ … tiṃse uppanne mūlacīvare paccāsācīvaraṃ uppajjati, tadaheva adhiṭṭhātabbaṃ vikappetabbaṃ vissajjetabbaṃ. no ce adhiṭṭheyya vā vikappeyya vā vissajjeyya vā, ekatiṃse aruṇuggamane nissaggiyaṃ hoti. nissajjitabbaṃ sanghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṃ … pe … idaṃ me, bhante, akālacīvaraṃ māsātikkantaṃ nissaggiyaṃ, imāhaṃ sanghassa nissajjāmīti … pe … dadeyyāti … pe … dadeyyunti … pe … āyasmato dammīti.
16 visabhāge uppanne mūlacīvare paccāsācīvaraṃ uppajjati, rattiyo ca sesā honti, na akāmā kāretabbaṃ.
17 māsātikkante atikkantasaññī, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. māsātikkante vematiko nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. māsātikkante anatikkantasaññī nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. anadhiṭṭhite adhiṭṭhitasaññī … pe … avikappite vikappitasaññī … avissajjite vissajjitasaññī … anaṭṭhe naṭṭhasaññī … avinaṭṭhe vinaṭṭhasaññī … adaḍḍhe daḍḍhasaññī … avilutte viluttasaññī, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
18 nissaggiyaṃ cīvaraṃ anissajjitvā paribhuñjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. māsānatikkante atikkantasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. māsānatikkante vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. māsānatikkante anatikkantasaññī, anāpatti.
19 anāpatti— antomāse adhiṭṭheti, vikappeti, vissajjeti, nassati, vinassati, ḍayhati, acchinditvā gaṇhanti, vissāsaṃ gaṇhanti, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.