Vibhanga (Bhikkhu) - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 6

Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules

Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 6: Not to ask someone who is not a relative for a robe.

Translated from the Pali by Brahmali Bhikkhu..

Origin story

First sub-story

1 At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍikaʼs Park. At that time Venerable Upananda the Sakyan was skilled at giving Dhamma talks. On one occasion the son of a wealthy merchant approached Venerable Upananda, paid respects to him, and sat down to one side. Venerable Upananda then instructed, inspired, and gladdened him with a Dhamma talk. Afterwards that merchantʼs son said to Venerable Upananda:

"Bhante, please tell me what you need. I am able to give you robes, almsfood, lodging requisites, and medicines."

"If you wish to give me something, then give me one of your robes."

"Bhante, it is shameful for the son of a good family to walk around in only one robe. Please wait until I get back home. I will then send you this robe or a better one."

2-3A second time and a third time Venerable Upananda said the same thing to that merchantʼs son, and he got the same reply. He then said: "What is the point of inviting if you donʼt want to give?"

4Then, after being pressured by Venerable Upananda, that merchantʼs son gave him one of his robes and left. People asked him: "Why, sir, are you walking around in one robe?" And he told them what had happened. People grumbled and complained: "These Sakyan ascetics have great desires; they are not content. Itʼs not easy even to give them an appropriate invitation. How can they take his robe when given an appropriate invitation by the merchantʼs son?"

5The monks heard those people complaining, and the monks of few desires … complained and criticised Venerable Upananda: "How could Venerable Upananda ask the merchantʼs son for a robe?"

6After criticising Venerable Udāyī in many ways, they informed the Master. … "Is it true, Upananda, that you asked the merchantʼs son for a robe?

"Itʼs 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 asked the merchantʼs son for a robe. This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

Preliminary ruling

7"If a monk asks an unrelated male or female householder for a robe, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession."

8In this way the Master laid down this training rule for the monks.

Second sub-story

9 At that time, while travelling on the main road from Sāketa to Sāvatthī, a number of monks were robbed by bandits. Knowing that the Master had a laid down a training rule and being fearful of wrongdoing, they did not ask for robes. They walked naked to Sāvatthī and paid respect to the monks. The monks said:

"These Ājīvaka ascetics are good people, in that they pay respects to the monks."

"We are not Ājīvakas; we are monks!"

The monks then said to Venerable Upāli: "Upāli, please examine them."

The naked monks then informed Venerable Upāli about what had happened, and he told the monks: "They are monks. Give them robes."

The monks of few desires complained and criticised them: "How can monks go naked? Shouldnʼt they have covered up with grass and leaves?"

10After criticising those monks in many ways, they informed the Master. He spoke on the Dhamma and addressed the monks: "Monks, if your robes are stolen or destroyed, I allow you to ask an unrelated householder for a robe. At the first monastery where you arrive, if the Sangha has a monastery robe, a bed sheet, a ground cover, or a pillow case, you should take that and put it on, thinking, ʻWhen I get a robe, I will return it.ʼ If there are none of these things, you should cover up with grass and leaves before going on. One should not go on while naked. If one does, there is an offence of bad conduct. And so, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

Final ruling

11"If a monk asks an unrelated male or female householder for a robe, without an appropriate reason, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. The appropriate reasons are that his robes are taken from him or lost."

Definitions

12 A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who is ordained by a complete Sangha through a procedure of one motion and three announcements, which is unchallengeable and fit to stand; this sort of monk is meant in this case.

13Unrelated: anyone who is not a descendent of oneʼs male ancestors going back seven generations, either on the motherʼs side or on the fatherʼs side.

14A male householder: any man who lives in a house.

15A female householder: any woman who lives in a house.

16 Robe: one of the six kinds of robes,For the six kinds, see Mv 8.3.1. but not smaller than what can be placed under shared ownership.This means not smaller than 16 by 8 cm; see Kkh 94,4.

17Without an appropriate reason: except at an appropriate time.

18Robes are taken from him: a monkʼs robe is taken by kings, bandits, scoundrels, or anyone whatsoever.

19Robes are lost: a monkʼs robe is burnt by fire, carried away by water, eaten by rats or termites, or worn through use.

20 In the act of asking without an appropriate reason, he commit an offence of wrongdoing. If he gets the robe, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment. 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 robe of mine, which I received after asking an unrelated householder without an appropriate reason, 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"

Permutations

21 If the person is unrelated and he perceives them as unrelated, and he asks them for a robe without an appropriate reason, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If the person is unrelated, but he has doubts about it, and he asks them for a robe without an appropriate reason, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If the person is unrelated, but he perceives them as related, and he asks them for a robe without an appropriate reason, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.

22If the person is related, but he perceive them as unrelated, he commit an offence of bad conduct. If the person is related, but he has doubts about it, he commit an offence of bad conduct. If the person is related and he perceives them as related, there is no offence.

Non-offences

23 There is no offence: if he has an appropriate reason; if he asks relatives; if he asks those who have given an invitation; if he asks for the benefit of someone else; if it is by means of his own property; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

24The sixth rule, the training rule on asking non-relations, is finished.

1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena āyasmā upanando sakyaputto paṭṭo hoti dhammiṃ kathaṃ kātuṃ. atha kho aññataro seṭṭhiputto yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasankami; upasankamitvā āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. ekamantaṃ nisinnaṃ kho taṃ seṭṭhiputtaṃ āyasmā upanando sakyaputto dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṃsesi. atha kho so seṭṭhiputto āyasmatā upanandena sakyaputtena dhammiyā kathāya sandassito samādapito samuttejito sampahaṃsito āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ etadavoca— "vadeyyātha, bhante, yena attho. paṭibalā mayaṃ ayyassa dātuṃ yadidaṃ cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāran"ti. "sace me tvaṃ, āvuso, dātukāmosi, ito ekaṃ sāṭakaṃ dehī"ti. "amhākaṃ kho, bhante, kulaputtānaṃ kismiṃ viya ekasāṭakaṃ gantuṃ. āgamehi, bhante, yāva gharaṃ gacchāmi. gharaṃ gato ito vā ekaṃ sāṭakaṃ pahiṇissāmi ito vā sundarataran"ti.

2 dutiyampi kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto taṃ seṭṭhiputtaṃ etadavoca— "sace me tvaṃ, āvuso, dātukāmosi ito ekaṃ sāṭakaṃ dehī"ti. amhākaṃ kho bhante kulaputtānaṃ kismiṃ viya ekasāṭakaṃ gantuṃ, āgamehi, bhante yāva gharaṃ gacchāmi, gharaṃ gato ito vā ekaṃ sāṭakaṃ pahiṇissāmi ito vā sundarataranti.

3 tatiyampi kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto taṃ seṭṭhiputtaṃ etadavoca— "sace me tvaṃ, āvuso, dātukāmosi, ito ekaṃ sāṭakaṃ dehī"ti. amhākaṃ kho, bhante, kulaputtānaṃ kismiṃ viya ekasāṭakaṃ gantuṃ, āgamehi, bhante yāva gharaṃ gacchāmi, gharaṃ gato ito vā ekaṃ sāṭakaṃ pahiṇissāmi ito vā sundarataranti. "kiṃ pana tayā, āvuso, adātukāmena pavāritena yaṃ tvaṃ pavāretvā na desī"ti.

4 atha kho so seṭṭhiputto āyasmatā upanandena sakyaputtena nippīḷiyamāno ekaṃ sāṭakaṃ datvā agamāsi. manussā taṃ seṭṭhiputtaṃ etadavocuṃ— "kissa tvaṃ, ayyo, ekasāṭako āgacchasī"ti? atha kho so seṭṭhiputto tesaṃ manussānaṃ etamatthaṃ ārocesi. manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "mahicchā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā asantuṭṭhā. nayimesaṃ sukarā dhammanimantanāpi kātuṃ. kathañhi nāma seṭṭhiputtena dhammanimantanāya kayiramānāya sāṭakaṃ gahessantī"ti.

5 assosuṃ kho bhikkhū tesaṃ manussānaṃ ujjhāyantānaṃ khiyyantānaṃ vipācentānaṃ. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto seṭṭhiputtaṃ cīvaraṃ viññāpessatī"ti.

6 atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ … pe … "saccaṃ kira tvaṃ, upananda, seṭṭhiputtaṃ cīvaraṃ viññāpesī"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, aññātakaṃ seṭṭhiputtaṃ cīvaraṃ viññāpessasi. netaṃ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—

7 "yo pana bhikkhu aññātakaṃ gahapatiṃ vā gahapatāniṃ vā cīvaraṃ viññāpeyya, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyan"ti.

8 evañcidaṃ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ paññattaṃ hoti.

9 tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū sāketā sāvatthiṃ addhānamaggappaṭipannā honti. antarāmagge corā nikkhamitvā te bhikkhū acchindiṃsu. atha kho te bhikkhū— "bhagavatā paṭikkhittaṃ aññātakaṃ gahapatiṃ vā gahapatāniṃ vā cīvaraṃ viññāpetun"ti, kukkuccāyantā na viññāpesuṃ. yathānaggāva sāvatthiṃ gantvā bhikkhū abhivādenti. bhikkhū evamāhaṃsu— "sundarā kho ime, āvuso, ājīvakā ye ime bhikkhūsu abhivādentī"ti. te evamāhaṃsu— "na mayaṃ, āvuso, ājīvakā, bhikkhū mayan"ti. bhikkhū āyasmantaṃ upāliṃ etadavocuṃ— "inghāvuso upāli, ime anuyuñjāhī"ti. atha kho āyasmatā upālinā anuyuñjiyamānā te bhikkhū etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. atha kho āyasmā upāli te bhikkhū anuyuñjitvā bhikkhū etadavoca— "bhikkhū ime, āvuso. detha nesaṃ cīvarānī"ti. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma bhikkhū naggā āgacchissanti. nanu nāma tiṇena vā paṇṇena vā paṭicchādetvā āgantabban"ti.

10 atha kho te bhikkhū te anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. atha kho bhagavā etasmiṃ nidāne etasmiṃ pakaraṇe dhammiṃ kathaṃ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi— "anujānāmi, bhikkhave, acchinnacīvarassa vā naṭṭhacīvarassa vā aññātakaṃ gahapatiṃ vā gahapatāniṃ vā cīvaraṃ viññāpetuṃ. yaṃ āvāsaṃ paṭhamaṃ upagacchati, sace tattha hoti sanghassa vihāracīvaraṃ vā uttarattharaṇaṃ vā bhūmattharaṇaṃ vā bhisicchavi vā, taṃ gahetvā pārupituṃ ‘labhitvā odahissāmī’ti. no ce hoti sanghassa vihāracīvaraṃ vā uttarattharaṇaṃ vā bhūmattharaṇaṃ vā bhisicchavi vā tiṇena vā paṇṇena vā paṭicchādetvā āgantabbaṃ; na tveva naggena āgantabbaṃ. yo āgaccheyya, āpatti dukkaṭassa. evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—

11 "yo pana bhikkhu aññātakaṃ gahapatiṃ vā gahapatāniṃ vā cīvaraṃ viññāpeyya, aññatra samayā, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. tatthāyaṃ samayo— acchinnacīvaro vā hoti bhikkhu naṭṭhacīvaro vā. ayaṃ tattha samayo"ti. (6:25)

12 yo panāti yo yādiso … pe … bhikkhūti … pe … ayaṃ imasmiṃ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.

13 aññātako nāma mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddho.

14 gahapati nāma yo koci agāraṃ ajjhāvasati.

15 gahapatānī nāma yā kāci agāraṃ ajjhāvasati.

16 cīvaraṃ nāma channaṃ cīvarānaṃ aññataraṃ cīvaraṃ vikappanupagaṃ pacchimaṃ.

17 aññatra samayāti ṭhapetvā samayaṃ.

18 acchinnacīvaro nāma bhikkhussa cīvaraṃ acchinnaṃ hoti rājūhi vā corehi vā dhuttehi vā, yehi kehici vā acchinnaṃ hoti.

19 naṭṭhacīvaro nāma bhikkhussa cīvaraṃ agginā vā daḍḍhaṃ hoti, udakena vā vūḷhaṃ hoti, undūrehi vā upacikāhi vā khāyitaṃ hoti, paribhogajiṇṇaṃ vā hoti.

20 aññatra samayā viññāpeti, payoge dukkaṭaṃ. paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṃ hoti. nissajjitabbaṃ sanghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṃ … pe … idaṃ me, bhante, cīvaraṃ aññātakaṃ gahapatikaṃ, aññatra samayā viññāpitaṃ, nissaggiyaṃ. imāhaṃ sanghassa nissajjāmīti … pe … dadeyyāti … pe … dadeyyunti … pe … āyasmato dammīti.

21 aññātake aññātakasaññī aññatra samayā cīvaraṃ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātake vematiko aññatra samayā cīvaraṃ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātake ñātakasaññī aññatra samayā cīvaraṃ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.

22 ñātake aññātakasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātake vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātake ñātakasaññī, anāpatti.

23 anāpatti— samaye, ñātakānaṃ, pavāritānaṃ, aññassatthāya, attano dhanena, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

24 aññātakaviññattisikkhāpadaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ chaṭṭhaṃ.