Lzh Dg Bu Pm Pc 24Giving Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvaradāna
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THE SUTTA ON THE CEREMONY OF OFFERING ROBES
Cīvaradāna — A Lesson on the Virtue of Generous Resolve
Background
The Sutta on the Ceremony of Offering Robes is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the oldest collection of Early Buddhism, containing regulations on the communal life, practice, and ethics of the bhikkhus. This discourse appears in the context of ceremonies for offering robes, the sacred garment of the monks, symbolizing the vow of renunciation and commitment to the Buddhist path.
The robe is not merely ordinary clothing, but an expression of humility, the abandonment of sensuality, and the practice of the Vinaya. In traditional ceremonies, offering robes is regarded as a form of great merit (mahāpuññā), because those who provide garments to the community of bhikkhus reap the fruits of immeasurable merit.
Main Content
In this discourse, the Buddha teaches that offering robes to bhikkhus should be done with sincere intention, not for cleanliness or personal adornment. This offering must be carried out according to the rules of the Sangha, with the witnessing of other bhikkhus, ensuring that the ceremony is conducted in a pure manner.
The discourse emphasizes the difference between offering robes with a pure mind and offering robes with a mind of greedy gain, wishing to seek fame or make an impression. Only when the mind is genuine and compassion is the motivation does the act of offering robes bring true merit. This reflects a fundamental principle of the Buddhadharma: it is not the external act, but the mental intention, that determines karmic value.
The discourse also instructs that a bhikkhu who receives robes should show gratitude and respect toward those who provide them. This creates a reciprocal relationship between the lay community (upāsaka) and the monastic community (Sangha), which is the foundation of mutual material and spiritual support in Early Buddhism.
Practical Meaning
The ceremony of offering robes is not only religious in meaning, but also a lesson in compassion and gratitude within the life of practice.
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