Lzh Dg Bu Pm Pc 90Robe Size

Sugatacīvara Sutra - Robe Size

Background

This sutra is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Pātimokkha section, of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of training rules taught by Buddha Śākyamuni to the Sangha in order to maintain discipline and harmony within the renunciant community.

The content of Sugatacīvara (Sug-ata-cīvara, meaning “the robe of the Tathagata”) concerns specific regulations on the size and standards of the robe that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must observe. In its historical context, the regulation of clothing size reflects the practice of humility and the rejection of disorder within the Sangha. It is also a way of protecting the spirit of monastic clothing: robes as tools of practice, not symbols of wealth or constant accumulation of material things.

Main Content

According to the regulations in the Pātimokkha and related Vinaya texts, the robe of bhikkhus must follow certain dimensions. The sutra states that robes must not be too wide, too long, or too small in relation to the standard designated by the Buddha. The purpose is to avoid two extremes: not falling into luxurious display through large and splendid clothing, and also not falling into hardship through clothing too small to cover the body properly.

The specific details of dimensions are based on ordinary bodily measurements. If a bhikkhu makes or uses a robe exceeding this standard, he violates one of the grounds for offense in the Vinaya. The Buddha gave these rules not out of harshness or fussiness, but to protect the spiritual life of those seeking liberation from obsessions connected with sensuality and material things.

This sutra also reflects the principle of the Middle Way (Majjhimā Paṭipadā), avoiding both unrelenting hardship and indulgent pleasure, and finding the balanced path in practice.

Practical Meaning

From the perspective of the Buddha’s Dharma, the rule on robes is not merely an administrative matter.