Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Pc 24Giving Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvaradāna
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Sutta on Giving Robes: Cīvaradāna
Context
The Cīvaradāna Sutta, “Giving Robes,” belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, the section of rules governing the life of the Theravāda Buddhist Sangha. This sutta was recorded to guide bhikkhus and bhikkhunis concerning proper conduct in giving and receiving offerings, especially the offering of robes, one of the most essential needs in the humble life of a renunciant.
In the context of the early Sangha, the management of communal property among monastics had sometimes led to disputes about fairness and spiritual cleanliness. This sutta was therefore established by the Buddha or by senior disciples to set out transparent principles, ensuring that the offering of robes did not become a means of accumulating possessions or creating distinctions within the Sangha.
Main Content
The Cīvaradāna Sutta regulates the basic principles for monastics receiving robes. First, a bhikkhu may possess only a certain number of robes as prescribed by the Pātimokkha, usually three principal robes: uttarāsaṅga (upper robe), antaravāsaka (inner robe), and sabaya (under-robe), along with a few patching cloths. Receiving offerings must follow clear conditions.
The sutta emphasizes that when a layperson wishes to offer robes, the person must place them in a designated location or hand them directly to the one who will use them. If the robes exceed one’s needs, the bhikkhu must entrust the surplus robes to others or place them in the common storeroom of the Sangha. The sutta also prohibits actions such as excessive hoarding, concealment, or using robes as a form of business.
In particular, this sutta states that if a bhikkhu possesses surplus robes and does not dispose of them properly within thirty days, the prescribed period, this is considered a violation of the rule (Pācittiya, a type of offense requiring confession). The purpose of this principle is to preserve a mind free from greed and free from fear regarding future needs in the monastic life.
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