Lzh Dg Bu Pm Pc 25Sewing Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvarasibbana
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The Sutta on Sewing Robes (Cīvarasibbana)
Background
The Sutta on Sewing Robes (Cīvarasibbana) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, the sacred collection that regulates the discipline of practice for the Buddhist monastic community. This Vinaya was recorded by the Buddha Śākyamuni and his long-standing disciples in order to maintain purity and harmony within the community of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs.
This discourse addresses one of the practical matters that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must face: how to sew, make, and use the robe (cīvara). The robe is not merely clothing that protects the body, but also a symbol of renunciation, the abandonment of the elaborate blossoms of worldly life in order to pursue the Buddhist path. The regulations on sewing robes reflect the principle of the Middle Way (majjhimā paṭipadā) and the balance between self-discipline and reasonable living.
Main Content
Although the descriptive information does not provide the full details of the specific content, according to the context of the Early Buddhist Vinaya, this discourse clearly regulates the proper method for sewing a lawful robe. Bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must observe certain standards: the robe must be sewn firmly, have adequate length and appropriate width, and be neither too ornate nor too simple. Each seam should be made with sincerity, with the resolve to practice and with compassion (karuṇā).
This discourse also instructs bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs to sew their own robes or to assist one another. This process is an occasion for training the mind not to be greedy or competitive, and for nurturing affection within the monastic community. When sewing robes, practitioners should restrain the mind from complicated calculations and instead maintain mindfulness (sati) and loving-kindness (mettā).
The regulations on sewing robes are also related to avoiding ethical faults (pācittiya), actions that disturb comfort within the monastic community but do not amount to grave offenses. The deeper reason is to help monastics maintain the principles of non-self-interest and freedom from conceit.
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