Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 7: Not to ask for more than one upper robe and one lower robe in case of loss of the three robes.
- 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 some of the monks belonging to the group of six said this to the monks whose robes had been taken:
"The Master has allowed a monk whose robes have been taken or lost to ask an unrelated householder for robes. You should ask for a robe."
"Itʼs not necessary; we have already obtained robes."
"We will ask for you."
"Do as you please."
Then those monks belonging to the group of six went to householders and said: "Monks whose robes have been taken have arrived. Give them robes." And they asked for many robes.
2Soon afterwards in the town meeting hall a certain man said to another: "Sir, monks whose robes have been taken have arrived. I have given them robes."
"I too have given robes." And another said the same.
They grumbled and complained: "How can the Sakyan ascetics have no sense of moderation and ask for many robes? Will they start up as cloth merchants or set up a shop?"
3Monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires … complained and criticised those monks: "How could those monks belonging to the group of six not have any sense of moderation and ask for many robes?"
4After criticising those monks in many ways, they informed the Master … "Is it true, monks, that you did not have any sense of moderation and asked for many robes?"
"Itʼs true, Master."
The Buddha, the Master, criticised them: " … Foolish men, how could you not have any sense of moderation and ask for many robes? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
5"If an unrelated male or female householder invites him to take many robes, he should accept at most one lower robe and one upper robe. If he accepts more than that, he commits and offence entailing relinquishment and confession."
Definitions
6Him: the monk whose robe has been taken.
7Unrelated: anyone who is not a descendent of oneʼs male ancestors going back seven generations, either on the motherʼs side or on the fatherʼs side.
8A male householder: any man who lives in a house.
9A female householder: any woman who lives in a house.
10Many robes: a number of robes.
11Invites … to take: saying, "Take as many as you like."
12He should accept at most one lower robe and one upper robe: if he has lost three robes, he should accept two; if he has lost two robes, he should accept one; if he has lost one robes, he should not accept any.
13If he accepts more than that:
In the act of asking for too much, 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 for too much, 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
14If the person is unrelated and he perceives them as unrelated, and he asks them for too many robes, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If the person is unrelated, but he has doubts about it, and he asks them for too many robes, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If the person is unrelated, but he perceives them as related, and he asks them for too many robes, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
15If the person is related, but he perceive them a 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 perceive them as related, there is no offence.
Non-offences
16There is no offence: if he takes too much, but with the intention of returning the remainder;See Kkh 112,15. if they give, saying, "The remainder is for you";Presumably this refers to any leftover cloth after the robe(s) have been made. if they give, but not because his robes were taken from him; if they give, but not because his robes were lost; if it is from relatives; if it is from those who have given an invitation; if it is by means of his own property; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
17The seventh rule, the training rule on excess, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū acchinnacīvarake bhikkhū upasankamitvā evaṃ vadanti— "bhagavatā, āvuso, anuññātaṃ— ‘acchinnacīvarassa vā naṭṭhacīvarassa vā aññātakaṃ gahapatiṃ vā gahapatāniṃ vā cīvaraṃ viññāpetuṃ’; viññāpetha, āvuso, cīvaran"ti. "alaṃ, āvuso, laddhaṃ amhehi cīvaran"ti. "mayaṃ āyasmantānaṃ viññāpemā"ti. "viññāpetha, āvuso"ti. atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū gahapatike upasankamitvā etadavocuṃ— "acchinnacīvarakā, āvuso, bhikkhū āgatā. detha nesaṃ cīvarānī"ti, bahuṃ cīvaraṃ viññāpesuṃ.
2 tena kho pana samayena aññataro puriso sabhāyaṃ nisinno aññataraṃ purisaṃ etadavoca— "acchinnacīvarakā ayyo bhikkhū āgatā. tesaṃ mayā cīvaraṃ dinnan"ti. sopi evamāha— "mayāpi dinnan"ti. aparopi evamāha— "mayāpi dinnan"ti. te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā na mattaṃ jānitvā bahuṃ cīvaraṃ viññāpessanti, dussavāṇijjaṃ vā samaṇā sakyaputtiyā karissanti, paggāhikasālaṃ vā pasāressantī"ti.
3 assosuṃ kho bhikkhū tesaṃ manussānaṃ ujjhāyantānaṃ khiyyantānaṃ vipācentānaṃ. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū na mattaṃ jānitvā bahuṃ cīvaraṃ viññāpessantī"ti.
4 atha kho te bhikkhū chabbaggiye bhikkhū anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ … pe … "saccaṃ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, na mattaṃ jānitvā bahuṃ cīvaraṃ viññāpethā"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, na mattaṃ jānitvā bahuṃ cīvaraṃ viññāpessatha. netaṃ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
5 "tañce aññātako gahapati vā gahapatānī vā bahūhi cīvarehi abhihaṭṭhuṃ pavāreyya santaruttaraparamaṃ tena bhikkhunā tato cīvaraṃ sāditabbaṃ. tato ce uttari sādiyeyya, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyan"ti. (7:26)
6 tañceti acchinnacīvarakaṃ bhikkhuṃ.
7 aññātako nāma mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddho.
8 gahapati nāma yo koci agāraṃ ajjhāvasati.
9 gahapatānī nāma yā kāci agāraṃ ajjhāvasati.
10 bahūhi cīvarehīti bahukehi cīvarehi.
11 abhihaṭṭhuṃ pavāreyyāti yāvatakaṃ icchasi tāvatakaṃ gaṇhāhīti.
12 santaruttaraparamaṃ tena bhikkhunā tato cīvaraṃ sāditabbanti sace tīṇi naṭṭhāni honti dve sāditabbāni, dve naṭṭhāni ekaṃ sāditabbaṃ, ekaṃ naṭṭhaṃ na kiñci sāditabbaṃ.
13 tato ce uttari sādiyeyyāti tatuttari viññāpeti, payoge dukkaṭaṃ. paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṃ hoti. nissajjitabbaṃ sanghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṃ … pe … "idaṃ me, bhante, cīvaraṃ aññātakaṃ gahapatikaṃ upasankamitvā tatuttari viññāpitaṃ nissaggiyaṃ. imāhaṃ sanghassa nissajjāmī"ti … pe … dadeyyāti … pe … dadeyyunti … pe … āyasmato dammīti.
14 aññātake aññātakasaññī tatuttari cīvaraṃ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātake vematiko tatuttari cīvaraṃ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātake ñātakasaññī tatuttari cīvaraṃ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
15 ñātake aññātakasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātake vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātake ñātakasaññī, anāpatti.
16 anāpatti— "sesakaṃ āharissāmī"ti haranto gacchati, "sesakaṃ tuyheva hotū"ti denti, na acchinnakāraṇā denti, na naṭṭhakāraṇā denti, ñātakānaṃ, pavāritānaṃ, attano dhanena, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.