Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Pācittiya 26: The Training Rule on Sewing Robes.
- 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 Venerable Udāyī had become skilled at making robes. Then a certain nun approached Venerable Udāyī and said to him: “Venerable, would you please sew me a robe?"
He then sewed a robe for that nun, making it it beautiful and nicely dyed, and he drew an imaginative picture in the middle of it. He then folded it and put it aside. Soon afterwards that nun went to Venerable Udāyī and said: “Bhante, where is the robe?"
“Now, sister, take this robe as it is folded and put it aside. When the Sangha of nuns goes to the instruction, then put it on and follow closely behind the other nuns."
And that nun did just that. People complained and criticised her: “How wanton these nuns are, how dissolute and shameless, in that they draw imaginative pictures on their robes."
2
And the nuns asked her: “Who did this?"
“Venerable Udāyī."
“This sort of work would not even make those who are wanton, dissolute, and shameless look good, let alone Venerable Udāyī."
The nuns then informed the monks,
3
The monks of few desires … complained and criticised him: “How can Venerable Udāyī sew a robe for a nun?" … “Is it true, Udāyī, that you do this?"
“Is she a relative of yours?"
“No, Master."
“Foolish man, a man and a woman who are not related do not know what is appropriate and what is inappropriate in dealing with each other, what is inspiring and what is not. Foolish man, how can you sew a robe for an unrelated nun? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
4 “If a monk sews a robe for an unrelated nun, or gets one sewn, he commits an offence entailing confession."
Definitions
5 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.
6 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.
7 Nun: fully ordained by both Sanghas.
8 A robe: one of the six kinds of robes. For the six kinds, see Mv 8.3.1.
9 Sews: if he sews it himself, then for each stitch he commits an offence entailing confession.
10Gets sewn: if he asks another, he commits an offence entailing confession. If he only asks once, then even if the other sews many times, he commits one offence entailing confession.
Permutations
11If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he sews her a robe or gets one sewn, he commits an offence entailing confession. If she is unrelated, but he has doubts about it, and he sews her a robe or gets one sewn, he commits an offence entailing confession. If she is unrelated, but he perceives her as related, and he sews her a robe or gets one sewn, he commits an offence entailing confession.
12If he sews a robe, or gets one sewn, for a nun ordained only on one side, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If she is related, but he perceives her as unrelated, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If she is related, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If she is related and he perceives her as related, there is no offence.
Non-offences
13There is no offence: if she is related; if he sews any requisite apart from a robe, or gets it sewn; if it is a trainee nun; if it is a female novice; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
14The sixth rule, the training rule on sewing robes, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena āyasmā udāyī paṭṭo hoti cīvarakammaṃ kātuṃ. aññatarā bhikkhunī yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasankami; upasankamitvā āyasmantaṃ udāyiṃ etadavoca— "sādhu me, bhante, ayyo cīvaraṃ sibbatū"ti. atha kho āyasmā udāyī tassā bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṃ sibbitvā surattaṃ suparikammakataṃ katvā majjhe paṭibhānacittaṃ vuṭṭhāpetvā saṃharitvā nikkhipi. atha kho sā bhikkhunī yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasankami; upasankamitvā āyasmantaṃ udāyiṃ etadavoca— "kahaṃ taṃ, bhante, cīvaran"ti? "handa, bhagini, imaṃ cīvaraṃ yathāsaṃhaṭaṃ haritvā nikkhipitvā yadā bhikkhunisaṇgho ovādaṃ āgacchati tadā imaṃ cīvaraṃ pārupitvā bhikkhunisaṇghassa piṭṭhito piṭṭhito āgacchā"ti. atha kho sā bhikkhunī taṃ cīvaraṃ yathāsaṃhaṭaṃ haritvā nikkhipitvā yadā bhikkhunisaṇgho ovādaṃ āgacchati tadā taṃ cīvaraṃ pārupitvā bhikkhunisaṇghassa piṭṭhito piṭṭhito āgacchati. manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "yāva chinnikā imā bhikkhuniyo dhuttikā ahirikāyo, yatra hi nāma cīvare paṭibhānacittaṃ vuṭṭhāpessantī"ti.
2 bhikkhuniyo evamāhaṃsu— "kassidaṃ kamman"ti? "ayyassa udāyissā"ti. "yepi te chinnakā dhuttakā ahirikā tesampi evarūpaṃ na sobheyya, kiṃ pana ayyassa udāyissā"ti. atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṃ etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ.
3 ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma āyasmā udāyī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṃ sibbissatī"ti … pe … "saccaṃ kira tvaṃ, udāyi, bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṃ sibbasī"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. "ñātikā te, udāyi, aññātikā"ti? "aññātikā, bhagavā"ti. "aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātikāya na jānāti patirūpaṃ vā appatirūpaṃ vā pāsādikaṃ vā apāsādikaṃ vā. kathañhi nāma tvaṃ, moghapurisa, aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṃ sibbissasi. netaṃ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
4 "yo pana bhikkhu aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṃ sibbeyya vā sibbāpeyya vā, pācittiyan"ti. (26:75)
5 yo panāti yo yādiso … pe … bhikkhūti … pe … ayaṃ imasmiṃ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.
6 aññātikā nāma mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddhā.
7 bhikkhunī nāma ubhatosaṇghe upasampannā.
8 cīvaraṃ nāma channaṃ cīvarānaṃ aññataraṃ cīvaraṃ.
9 sibbeyyāti sayaṃ sibbati ārāpathe ārāpathe āpatti pācittiyassa.
10 sibbāpeyyāti aññaṃ āṇāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa. sakiṃ āṇatto bahukampi sibbati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
11 aññātikāya aññātikasaññī cīvaraṃ sibbati vā sibbāpeti vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. aññātikāya vematiko cīvaraṃ sibbati vā sibbāpeti vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. aññātikāya ñātikasaññī cīvaraṃ sibbati vā sibbāpeti vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.
12 ekatoupasampannāya cīvaraṃ sibbati vā sibbāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātikāya aññātikasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātikāya vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātikāya ñātikasaññī, anāpatti.
13 anāpatti— ñātikāya, cīvaraṃ ṭhapetvā aññaṃ parikkhāraṃ sibbati vā sibbāpeti vā, sikkhamānāya, sāmaṇeriyā, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.