Lzh Dg Bu Pm Np 6Asking an Unrelated Person for Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Aññātakaviññatti
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EXPLANATION OF THE AÑÑĀTAKAVIÑÑATTI SUTTA
Asking for Robes from an Unrelated Person
Background
The Aññātakaviññatti Sutta (Asking for Robes from an Unrelated Person) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the standard code for female bhikkhus. It is one of the legal rules concerning how bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs manage property, especially clothing, an essential need in the life of practice.
During the Buddha's lifetime, the Buddha established a detailed system of discipline to protect the purity of the Sangha. The regulations on how to request and receive property, especially from people unrelated to oneself (aññātaka, those without a kinship relationship), were built upon a firm principle: avoid greed, maintain spiritual independence, and protect the honor of the Sangha in the eyes of the community.
Main Content
The sutta stipulates that when a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī needs clothing, one of the four essential requisites, they should not actively ask for robes from people who have no family relationship or are not close Buddhist supporters. Receiving should be carried out reasonably, through appropriate channels such as family, deeply faithful Buddhists, or through the Sangha community.
This is not an absolute prohibition, but guidance on tact and wisdom. Buddhist law recognizes that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs do not own property, but they have the right to receive what is necessary for the monastic life. However, the manner of asking must avoid actions that could harm the image of the Sangha or create an impression of greed in the eyes of ordinary people.
The sutta emphasizes that if a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī asks for robes from an unrelated person without a valid reason, this is considered an act of disciplinary offense (āpatti), though the level of offense may vary depending on the specific circumstances.
Practical Meaning
The Aññātakaviññatti Sutta upholds the value of propriety and respect.
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