Lzh Dg Bu Pm Sk 73Not Take Corpse’s Robe by Stupa
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not take corpse’s robe by stupa
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Explanation of the Discourse: Not Taking a Corpse’s Robe by a Stupa
Background
This discourse is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the collection of training rules and discipline of the community of monks and nuns in Theravāda Buddhism. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of dry prohibitions, but clear guidance arising from specific events in the life and activity of the Buddha and his disciples.
The discourse concerns the problem of greed and respect for the deceased. In the Buddhist tradition, a stupa is a place where the relics of a person of high virtue are enshrined, or where the bones of Buddhas and arahants are kept. The stupa is regarded as a sacred place worthy of reverence.
The appearance of this rule shows that even during the Buddha’s lifetime, there were issues within the monastic community related to the taking of property and lack of respect for the dead. This is the context for the arising of a clear rule of discipline.
Main Content
This rule forbids members of the Sangha from taking the robe of a dead person (sava-vatthaka, the cloth of a corpse) at stupas. From whatever angle it is considered, this action violates basic Buddhist principles.
First, it is an act of greed (lobha). When taking the robe of a dead person, the practitioner is influenced by a mind of craving, viewing cloth as property that can be possessed. This directly contradicts the spirit of going forth, the renunciation of attachment to material things.
Second, it shows disrespect toward the deceased and toward the community of practice itself. The robe of a dead person at a stupa is not isolated waste material, but part of the solemnity that acknowledges the merit of the person who has passed away.
Third, this action damages the reputation of the Sangha. When laypeople see monastics taking the robes of the dead, they lose faith and no longer regard monastics as those pursuing purity.
Therefore the Buddha established a clear rule: the robe of a dead person at a stupa must not be taken.
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