Lzh Dg Bi Vb Np 30Light Cloaks

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– NISSAGGIYA PĀCITTIYA

RULE 30

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī. At that time, a Licchavi of Vesālī had need of recovering some property from a certain householder. There was a bhikkhunī named Kālā who regularly visited this household and regarded them as donors. The Licchavi said to bhikkhunī Kālā:

"Sister, could you help me arrange the matter of this property?"

The bhikkhunī replied:

"I can."

After she had arranged the matter and the property had been recovered, the Licchavi said gladly:

"Sister, what do you need?"

The bhikkhunī said:

"Never mind, this itself is already an offering to me."

The Licchavi said again:

"Please tell me, Venerable Sister, whatever you need."

The bhikkhunī said:

"Never mind, there is no need to speak of it. Even if I had a need, you would not be able to provide it."

The Licchavi said again:

"I will provide it; it is not that I will not. Please tell me."

The bhikkhunī then pointed to a light, thin robe worth five hundred lengths of fine cloth and said:

"I need a robe like that."

The householders were resentful and said: "This bhikkhunī receives without knowing satisfaction. She outwardly claims to know the true Dharma — but what kind of true Dharma is this? How can she demand a thin robe worth five hundred lengths of fine cloth? Even when a donor offers, one must know sufficiency!"

The Licchavi presented the robe to the bhikkhunī and said:

"If I had handled this matter myself, I would not have lost this robe!"

At that time, another bhikkhunī, Bhaddā Kāpilānī, also went to the home of her relatives and sat down in the seat provided. The householders asked:

"Sister, what do you need?"

The bhikkhunī said:

"Never mind, this itself is already an offering to me."

The householder said again:

"Please tell me whatever you need."

The bhikkhunī said:

"Never mind, there is no need to speak of it. Even if I had a need, you would not be able to provide it."

The householder said:

"I will provide it; it is not that I will not. But please tell me what you need."

The bhikkhunī then pointed to a thin robe worth five hundred lengths of fine cloth and said:

"I need this robe."

That householder was resentful and said: "This bhikkhunī receives without knowing satisfaction. She outwardly claims to know the true Dharma — but what kind of true Dharma is this? How can she demand a thin robe worth five hundred lengths of fine cloth? Even when a donor offers, one must know sufficiency!"

The householder presented the robe and said:

"What use does this bhikkhunī have for such a valuable robe?"

At that time, some bhikkhunīs heard of this, among whom were those who were of few desires and contentment, who lived the ascetic practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, who were endowed with a sense of shame and remorse. They reproached the two bhikkhunīs Kālā and Bhaddā Kāpilānī, saying: "How could you go to householders and demand a thin robe worth five hundred lengths of fine cloth?"

The bhikkhunīs then went and reported this to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha and rebuked bhikkhunīs Kālā and Bhaddā Kāpilānī, saying:

"What you have done is wrong; it is not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accord with the practice of a renunciant, not in accord with pure conduct, not in accord with right behavior — you have done what ought not to be done. How could you two go to householders and demand a thin robe worth five hundred lengths of fine cloth?"

The Blessed One rebuked them with many means and then said to the bhikkhus:

"These two bhikkhunīs, Kālā and Bhaddā Kāpilānī, are a field in which many defiled seeds are sown, and they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhunīs, consisting of ten principles, up to and including the phrase 'for the enduring of the true Dharma.'"

The rule should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī wishes to request a light robe, the maximum value is two and a half lengths of fine cloth; if she exceeds this — nissaggiya pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: the meaning is as stated above.

Light robe: a robe for protection against heat.

Robe: there are ten kinds, as stated above.

If a bhikkhunī requests a light robe, the maximum is ten units. If a bhikkhunī requests a light robe exceeding two and a half lengths of fine cloth — nissaggiya pācittiya.

This nissaggiya article must be relinquished to the Saṅgha, as stated above. After relinquishing it, she must confess the offense, also as stated above.

The Saṅgha must return this relinquished robe to her by the formal act of a motion-with-one-announcement (ñattidutiakamma), as before. If the Saṅgha does not return it, and she receives it as one of the five robes, or uses it as a non-robe, or wears it continually — all such cases constitute an offense of dukkaṭa, as stated above.

For a bhikkhu — dukkaṭa. For a sikkhamānā, sāmaṇera, or sāmaṇerī — dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: Requesting a light robe at the value of two and a half lengths of fine cloth, or below that amount; or requesting from one who has gone forth; or requesting on another's behalf, or another requesting on one's own behalf; or obtaining it without requesting — none of these constitute an offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits the first offense before the rule has been laid down; one who is insane, of disturbed mind, or afflicted with severe pain.

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Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA, PART ONE

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, fascicles 1–2)

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002