Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Np 5Used Robes

Source Status

This item bears the identifier Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Np 5 and belongs to the Vinaya Parallels — Chinese, in the Sectarian Buddhist Canons · Parallels tradition. The Vietnamese title is “Used Robes,” the English title is “Used Robes,” and the Pali title is recorded as “Purāṇacīvara.” The data contains only descriptive information and a tail section of the Vietnamese text cut off midstream. There is not yet a full source text, a complete translation, or a comparison of terminology. Therefore, the following content is an AI explanation based on the data supplied, not a translation of the original scripture, and it should not be used to determine the details of the Vinaya text.

Context

The title “Used Robes” shows that this item relates to monastic clothing, especially old robes, previously used robes, or the proper use of robes that are not new. The tail of the Vietnamese text mentioned discarded cloth, old cloth garments, dyeing with ordinary substances, the spirit of not wasting, reuse, simple living, and protecting health. It also said that new robes may be used in cases where old robes are unusable or requisites are insufficient, but this should be understood within the framework of proper use according to the Dharma.

In the Vinaya tradition, clothing is one of the basic requisites of renunciants. Robes cover the body, protect it from the climate, and signify a way of life that has left behind worldly adornment. Therefore, a robe is not merely a garment. It is also a place where a practitioner learns one’s attitude toward ownership, honor, aesthetics, comfort, and contentment.

Content That Can Be Determined from the Descriptive Information

What is certain from the descriptive information is that this item concerns “used robes,” with the term Purāṇacīvara. The tail of the Vietnamese text shows that the previous explanation emphasized simplicity and non-waste in the use of robes. From this the direction of the content can be determined: practitioners are reminded that robes should not be treated as objects for beautification, display, accumulation, or status distinction.

However, without the full text, it cannot be affirmed exactly which examples the original states. Details such as cloth from a rubbish heap, abandoned cloth, or dyed robes may reflect explanatory style or general Vinaya memory, but in this task they should be regarded only as data from the tail section, not as independent evidence. Nor should one add a story of the rule’s origin, persons involved, the number of robes, procedures for relinquishing robes, or forms of penalty if the data does not state them clearly.

It can be said cautiously that this item raises the issue of how a practitioner uses robes: using enough, using according to need, and not allowing the need to cover the body to become material craving. An old robe, when still suitable, becomes a means of reminding one of a life of few wishes and contentment.

Meaning for Practice

The practical meaning of “Used Robes” does not lie in honoring what is old as an absolute value. An old robe may be suitable if it can still be used; but if it no longer protects health or meets basic needs, rigid attachment to what is old can also become an extreme. The essential point is attitude: the practitioner does not seek luxury, does not allow clothing to become a basis for selfhood, and does not consume beyond the purpose of holy conduct.

This spirit has close relevance to modern life. Buddhist learners may look again at habits of purchasing, replacing, discarding, and accumulating. When an object is still usable, one may use it with gratitude. When replacement is needed, one replaces it because of a legitimate need, not for display or in pursuit of a feeling of lack caused by comparison. Simplicity does not impoverish the heart; on the contrary, it opens space for the mind to become lighter.

For the Sangha, robes are also connected with harmony. If one person accumulates many robes while another lacks them, or if robes become a cause of jealousy, then an object of practice has gone against its purpose. Knowing how to use old robes, knowing how to share, and knowing how to receive new robes at the right time all belong to the training in discipline within communal life.

Comparative Note

The source link provided needs to be checked directly to know how this rule is presented in the Chinese text and in the parallel versions. This explanation does not introduce additional canonical location, translator, or source details beyond the data. What can be retained is the ethical direction: the robes of renunciants should be used in the spirit of simplicity, non-waste, non-attachment, and not losing sight of the purpose of practice. Until the full text is available, this should be regarded as a reference explanation for general readers, not as textual evidence.