Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Sk 4Lifted Robe (2nd)
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyaukkhittaka
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DUTIYAUKKHITTAKA SUTTA - THE ROBE LIFTED A SECOND TIME
Background
Dutiyaukkhittaka (The Robe Lifted a Second Time) is a disciplinary rule belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically within the prohibitions for bhikkhunīs. This text reflects concrete situations that arose in the community of female monastics while the Buddha was still alive, when matters concerning clothing and conduct proper to one who has received the Dharma needed to be standardized.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is not a collection of meaningless rigid rules, but an expression of the Buddha’s wisdom in maintaining the purity and discipline of the Sangha. Each prohibition has its origin in a specific event, when the Buddha observed unsuitable actions and established a rule to correct them.
Main Content
Dutiyaukkhittaka concerns the act of “lifting the robe” (ukkhittaka), a gesture that bhikkhunīs are prohibited from doing. The robe spoken of here is the saṅghāṭī, one of the three basic robes of monastics, worn to cover the body and maintain social decorum.
Lifting the robe without a necessary reason, such as to place it on the shoulder or arrange it again, is regarded as a form of exposing the body, a sign of conceit or lack of attention to proper dress. The phrase “second time” (dutiya) suggests a recurrence of a similar issue, showing that the Buddha had to give a reminder more than once concerning this matter.
This rule is not only about a physical act, but also reflects a broader principle: a bhikkhunī should regulate her actions, speech, and thoughts so that they accord with one who has received the Dharma. Discipline in such small details is a way of practicing mindfulness (sati) and restraint (saṁvara).
Practical Meaning
Although Dutiyaukkhittaka arose from a specific context more than twenty centuries ago, its deeper principle remains valuable.
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