Lzh Dg Bi Pm Np 15Taking Back Robe-Cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvaraacchindana
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SCRIPTURE ON TAKING BACK ROBES AND ROBE-CLOTH
Background
The scripture "Cīvaraacchindana" (Taking back robes and cloth) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the library of disciplinary rules for early Buddhist monastics. This is not a Dharma discourse but a part of the Pātimokkha--the list of offenses in the Sangha community. In the Vinaya context, regulations concerning robe-cloth are not merely material matters but reflect purity of practice and the spirit of renunciation in a monastic.
In the Buddha's time, monks usually possessed three robes: the outer robe, the uttarāsaṅga (upper robe), and the antarvāsa (lower robe). Disputes over ownership, sharing, or taking back robe-cloth occurred, leading to specific regulations intended to protect both individual rights and communal harmony.
Main Content
The specific content of this section has not yet been fully translated, but according to the Vinaya context, "Taking back robe-cloth" (Cīvaraacchindana) regulates the situations and conditions under which a monastic may request the return of robe-cloth that they have given to another person or left with the Sangha.
This rule usually revolves around these principles: first, the donor of robe-cloth may have the right to take it back if the recipient abuses it or does not use it for the proper purpose of practice. Second, taking it back must follow proper ceremonial procedures and be recognized by the Sangha, not be an arbitrary act. Third, if the robe-cloth has already been recycled or seriously damaged, the rule no longer applies.
The essential point is that the Buddha guided the community in how to handle conflicts over property justly, maintaining peace in the Sangha. According to the Buddhist principle, robe-cloth--whether personal or communal--is regarded only as an instrument supporting practice, not as a possession or cause for dispute.
Practical Meaning
The connection between regulation and practice is profound.
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