Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 9: Not to ask for a good quality robe from two supporters who are saving money to offer one each.
- 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 man said to another man, "I will give a robe to Venerable Upananda." He replied, "I too will give a robe to Venerable Upananda."
A certain monk who was an alms-collector heard that conversation. He then went to Venerable Upananda and said: "Upananda, you have much merit. I have just heard two men telling each other that they will each give you a robe."
Venerable Upananda replied: "They are my supporters."
2Venerable Upananda then went to those men and said: "Is it true that you both desire to give me a robe?"
"Indeed, that is just what we were thinking."
"If that is the case, then give me such-and-such a robe. For what is the point of giving robes that I cannot use?"
Then those men grumbled and complained: "These Sakyan ascetics have great desires; they are not content. Itʼs not easy to give them robes. How can Venerable Upananda approach us and make a suggestion about the robes without first being invited by us?"
3The monks heard the complaints of those men, and the monks of few desires … complained and criticised him: "How could Venerable Upananda approach householders and make a suggestion about a robe without first being invited?"
4After criticising Venerable Upananda in many ways, they informed the Master … "Is it true, Upananda, that you approached householders and made a suggestion about a robe without first being invited?"
"Itʼs true, Master."
"Are they relatives 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 approached unrelated householders and made a suggestion about a robe 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
5"If two male or female householders have set aside separate robe funds for an unrelated monk, thinking, ʻWith these separate robe funds we will buy separate robes and supply monk so-and-so with them;ʼ and if that monk, without first being invited, approaches them and makes a suggestion about the robes, saying, ʻIt would be good, sirs, if you would put these separate robe funds together to buy such-and-such a robe and then supply me,ʼ and he does so because he wants something nice, he commits and offence entailing relinquishment and confession."
Definitions
6For a … monk: for the benefit of a monk; making a monk the object of consideration, they desire to supply him.
8Unrelated: anyone who is not a descendent of oneʼs male ancestors going back seven generations, either on the motherʼs side or on the fatherʼs side.
9Male householders: any men who live in a house.
10Female householders: any women who live in a house.
11Robe funds: gold, pearls, gems, corals, crystals, cloth, thread, or cotton wool.
12With these separate robe funds: with that which is at their disposal.
13We will buy: having exchanged.
14We will … supply: we will give.
15If that monk: the monk for whom the robe fund has been set aside.
16Without first being invited: they have not said beforehand: "Bhante, what kind of robe do you need? What kind of robe can we buy for you?"
17Approaches them: having gone to their house or having gone wherever.
18Makes a suggestion about the robe: may it be long or wide or closely woven or soft.
19These separate robe funds: that which is at their disposal.
20Such-and-such: long or wide or closely woven or soft.
23Put … together: two people supplying him with one robe.
24Because he wants something nice: wanting something nice, wanting something expensive.
25If those householders buy one that is long, wide, closely woven, or soft because of his statement, he commits an offence of bad conduct for the act of making the statement. 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 approaching unrelated householders and making a suggestion about the robes without first being invited, 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
26If the householders are unrelated and he perceives them as unrelated, and, without first being invited, he approaches them and makes a suggestion about the robes, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If the householders are unrelated, but he has doubts about it, and, without first being invited, he approaches them and makes a suggestion about the robes, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If the householders are unrelated, but he perceives them as related, and, without first being invited, he approaches them and makes a suggestion about the robes, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
27If the householders are related, but he perceive them as unrelated, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If the householders are related, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If the householders are related and he perceive them as related, there is no offence.
Non-offences
28There 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 another; if it is by means of his own property; if the householders wish to buy something expensive, but he gets them to buy something inexpensive; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
29The ninth rule, the second training rule on setting aside, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena aññataro puriso aññataraṃ purisaṃ etadavoca— "ayyaṃ upanandaṃ cīvarena acchādessāmī"ti. sopi evamāha— "ahampi ayyaṃ upanandaṃ cīvarena acchādessāmī"ti. assosi kho aññataro piṇḍacāriko bhikkhu tesaṃ purisānaṃ imaṃ kathāsallāpaṃ. atha kho so bhikkhu yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasankami; upasankamitvā āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ etadavoca— "mahāpuññosi tvaṃ, āvuso upananda. amukasmiṃ okāse aññataro puriso aññataraṃ purisaṃ etadavoca— ‘ayyaṃ upanandaṃ cīvarena acchādessāmī’ti. sopi evamāha— ‘ahampi ayyaṃ upanandaṃ cīvarena acchādessāmī’"ti. "atthāvuso, maṃ te upaṭṭhākā"ti.
2 atha kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto yena te purisā tenupasankami; upasankamitvā te purise etadavoca— "saccaṃ kira maṃ tumhe, āvuso, cīvarehi acchādetukāmātthā"ti? "api nayya, evaṃ hoti— ‘ayyaṃ upanandaṃ cīvarehi acchādessāmā’"ti. "sace kho maṃ tumhe, āvuso, cīvarehi acchādetukāmāttha, evarūpena cīvarena acchādetha, kyāhaṃ tehi acchannopi karissāmi, yānāhaṃ na paribhuñjissāmī"ti. atha kho te purisā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "mahicchā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā asantuṭṭhā. nayime sukarā cīvarehi acchādetuṃ. kathañhi nāma ayyo upanando amhehi pubbe appavārito upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjissatī"ti.
3 assosuṃ kho bhikkhū tesaṃ purisānaṃ ujjhāyantānaṃ khiyyantānaṃ vipācentānaṃ. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto pubbe appavārito gahapatike upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjissatī"ti.
4 atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṃ upanandaṃ sakyaputtaṃ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ … pe … "saccaṃ kira tvaṃ, upananda, pubbe appavārito gahapatike upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjasī"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. "ñātakā te, upananda, aññātakā"ti? "aññātakā, bhagavā"ti. "aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātakānaṃ na jānāti patirūpaṃ vā appatirūpaṃ vā santaṃ vā asantaṃ vā. tattha nāma tvaṃ, moghapurisa, pubbe appavārito aññātake gahapatike upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjissasi. netaṃ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
5 "bhikkhuṃ paneva uddissa ubhinnaṃ aññātakānaṃ gahapatīnaṃ vā gahapatānīnaṃ vā paccekacīvaracetāpannāni upakkhaṭāni honti— ‘imehi mayaṃ paccekacīvaracetāpannehi paccekacīvarāni cetāpetvā itthannāmaṃ bhikkhuṃ cīvarehi acchādessāmā’ti; tatra ce so bhikkhu pubbe appavārito upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjeyya— ‘sādhu vata maṃ āyasmanto imehi paccekacīvaracetāpannehi evarūpaṃ vā evarūpaṃ vā cīvaraṃ cetāpetvā acchādetha, ubhova santā ekenā’ti, kalyāṇakamyataṃ upādāya, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyan"ti. (9:28)
6 bhikkhuṃ paneva uddissāti bhikkhussatthāya, bhikkhuṃ ārammaṇaṃ karitvā, bhikkhuṃ acchādetukāmā.
8 aññātakā nāma mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddhā.
9 gahapatī nāma ye keci agāraṃ ajjhāvasanti.
10 gahapatāniyo nāma yā kāci agāraṃ ajjhāvasanti.
11 cīvaracetāpannāni nāma hiraññā vā suvaṇṇā vā muttā vā maṇī vā pavāḷā vā phalikā vā paṭakā vā suttā vā kappāsā vā.
12 imehi paccekacīvaracetāpannehīti paccupaṭṭhitehi.
15 tatra ce so bhikkhūti yaṃ bhikkhuṃ uddissa cīvaracetāpannāni upakkhaṭāni honti so bhikkhu.
16 pubbe appavāritoti pubbe avutto hoti— "kīdisena te, bhante, cīvarena attho, kīdisaṃ te cīvaraṃ cetāpemā"ti.
17 upasankamitvāti gharaṃ gantvā yattha katthaci upasankamitvā.
18 cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjeyyāti āyataṃ vā hotu vitthataṃ vā appitaṃ vā saṇhaṃ vā.
19 imehi paccekacīvaracetāpannehīti paccupaṭṭhitehi.
20 evarūpaṃ vā evarūpaṃ vāti āyataṃ vā vitthataṃ vā appitaṃ vā saṇhaṃ vā.
23 ubhova santā ekenāti dvepi janā ekena.
24 kalyāṇakamyataṃ upādāyāti sādhatthiko mahagghatthiko.
25 tassa vacanena āyataṃ vā vitthataṃ vā appitaṃ vā saṇhaṃ vā cetāpenti, payoge dukkaṭaṃ. paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṃ hoti. nissajjitabbaṃ sanghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṃ … pe … "idaṃ me, bhante, cīvaraṃ pubbe appavārito aññātake gahapatike upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpannaṃ nissaggiyaṃ. imāhaṃ sanghassa nissajjāmī"ti … pe … dadeyyāti … pe … dadeyyunti … pe … āyasmato dammīti.
26 aññātake aññātakasaññī pubbe appavārito gahapatike upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjati, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātake vematiko pubbe appavārito gahapatike upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjati, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātake ñātakasaññī pubbe appavārito gahapatike upasankamitvā cīvare vikappaṃ āpajjati, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
27 ñātake aññātakasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātake vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātake ñātakasaññī, anāpatti.
28 anāpatti— ñātakānaṃ, pavāritānaṃ, aññassatthāya, attano dhanena, mahagghaṃ cetāpetukāmānaṃ appagghaṃ cetāpeti, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.