Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Np 14A New Blanket Should be Kept for Six Years
Pāli / Sanskrit:Chabbassa
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The Chabbassa Discourse: A New Outer Robe Should Be Kept for Six Years
Background
Chabbassa (chabbassa = six seasons or six years) is a part of the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli canon, specifically belonging to the Bhikkhu Pātimokkha, the monastic code for monks. This discourse appears in the section concerning the management of personal requisites, an important topic for ensuring that bhikkhus do not become immersed in material things and that they observe strict discipline in their life of practice.
This content was recorded while the Buddha and the noble community were practicing in various regions of India. Regulations concerning robes were not arbitrary constraints, but criteria for maintaining mindfulness, avoiding waste, and managing monastic property according to the principle of the Middle Way, not falling into either excessive hardship or excess.
Main Content
According to the Chabbassa rule, a new outer robe (saṅghāṭī) issued to a bhikkhu must be kept for at least six years. This means that a bhikkhu may not discard or replace the robe merely because he feels it is old, faded, or no longer new in appearance. Only when the robe is truly damaged, decayed, or no longer usable may the bhikkhu ask for a new one.
This rule applies not only to the outer robe but also extends to other requisites of a bhikkhu, such as robes, blankets, mats, or other implements of practice. The purpose is to restrain material ambition, avoid the desire for continual replacement, and cultivate an attitude of being content and responsible with what one has.
This rule also reflects the financial security of the Saṅgha. In Indian society at the time of the Buddha, bhikkhus lived on offerings from laypeople. If bhikkhus constantly asked for new clothing, this would not only burden the lay community but also reflect a mind not truly released from attachment to material things. Thus the Chabbassa rule is a lesson in self-mastery and contentment.
Practical Meaning
In the context of Theravāda practice, Chabbassa is not merely an administrative rule.
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