Lzh Dg Bi Pm Np 27Out-of-Season Robe Cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:Akālacīvara
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The Rule on Out-of-Season Robe Cloth (Akālacīvara)
Background
The Akālacīvara rule belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of Theravāda Buddhism and is found within the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha rules. This rule concerns the detailed disciplinary regulations that ordained Buddhist women (bhikkhunīs) must observe. The history of the formation of these rules is connected with specific events that occurred during the lifetime of the Buddha Śākyamuni, when he and his disciples recognized problems arising in the community of monks and nuns and needed to establish restrictions to protect virtue, unity, and the purity of the Sangha.
Robe cloth (cīvara) is one of the three essential requisites that ordained Buddhists are permitted to possess, together with the alms bowl and lodging. However, the possession and use of robe cloth are not arbitrary, but must follow strict principles intended to avoid greed, display, and abuse.
Main Content
The Akālacīvara rule concerns receiving robe cloth outside the prescribed season. In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, the year is divided into two main periods: the rains retreat (vassa), the roughly three-month period during which Buddhists gather for focused practice, and the out-of-season period (akāla). Robes for this season are distributed at a specific time called the “robe season” (cīvarakkhandhaka). If bhikkhunīs receive robe cloth at an improper time, outside the prescribed season, this is considered a disciplinary violation.
This rule states that Buddhist nuns may receive robe cloth only on designated occasions. Apart from special and alms-related circumstances, such as robe cloth intended for repairing or replacing robes that are badly damaged, receiving additional robe cloth outside the prescribed time is a pārājika or pācittiya, depending on the specific tradition.
The purpose of this rule is not to make things difficult for Buddhist nuns, but to teach the spirit of living on alms, freedom from greed, and respect for communal resources. By limiting the time for receiving robe cloth, Buddhists are trained to possess only what is necessary and to avoid needless accumulation.
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