Lzh Dg Bu Vb Np 3Out-of-Season Robe Cloth

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– NISSAGGIYA PĀCITTIYA

3. WAITING ONE MONTH FOR A ROBE

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a certain bhikkhu's saṃghāṭī had become old, torn, and worn out. He thought to himself: "The Blessed One has established a rule for the bhikkhus: 'When the robe-making is finished and the kaṭhina has been relinquished, extra robes may be kept for ten days. Keeping them beyond the allotted time is a nissaggiya pācittiya.' Yet my saṃghāṭī is old and worn out, and within ten days it cannot be finished. What should I do now?" He then spoke to a bhikkhu of like mind:

"Please be so good, Venerable One, as to inform the Blessed One on my behalf. Whatever he instructs, I shall respectfully follow."

The bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, then sat to one side, and reported the full circumstances of the matter to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this cause and condition, assembled the bhikkhus and said:

"From now on, I permit bhikkhus to keep extra robe cloth while waiting until it is sufficient."

The group of six bhikkhus, upon hearing that the Blessed One had permitted keeping extra robe cloth while waiting until it was sufficient, had paṃsukūla robes and other kinds of robes of the same type that were not yet sufficient. They took the paṃsukūla robes from among them, washed and dyed them, marked the four corners as pure, and then deposited them with friendly bhikkhus before going wandering through the countryside. Because they were away for a long time and did not return, the bhikkhus who had received the deposit, fearing the robes might become damp, brought them out to air. Other bhikkhus saw this and asked:

"The Blessed One has established a rule permitting bhikkhus to keep three robes and no more. Whose robes are these?"

The bhikkhu who had received the deposit replied:

"These robes belong to the group of six bhikkhus. The group of six bhikkhus said: 'The Blessed One has established a rule permitting extra robe cloth to be kept until there is enough.' They had paṃsukūla robes and other robes of the same type that were not yet sufficient, so they took the paṃsukūla robes from among them, washed and dyed them, marked the four corners as pure, and deposited them with me before going wandering through the countryside. Fearing they might deteriorate, I brought them out to air."

At that time, among the bhikkhus who heard this, there were those of few desires, contentment, who practiced the dhūta austerities, were fond of training in the precepts, had a sense of shame and remorse, and they criticized the group of six bhikkhus:

"Why, when the Blessed One permits keeping extra robe cloth while waiting until it is sufficient, do they—because robe cloth of the same type was not yet sufficient—take paṃsukūla robes from among them, wash and dye them, mark the four corners as pure, and deposit them with friendly bhikkhus in order to go wandering through the countryside?"

The bhikkhus then went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side, and reported the full circumstances of this matter to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this cause and condition, assembled the bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhus:

"What you have done is wrong; it is not proper conduct, not the behavior of a śramaṇa, not pure conduct, not fitting behavior—it is something that should not be done. Group of six bhikkhus, why, when the Blessed One has permitted bhikkhus to keep extra robe cloth while waiting until it is sufficient, did you—because robe cloth of the same type was not yet sufficient—take paṃsukūla robes from among them, wash and dye them, mark the four corners as pure, and deposit them with friendly bhikkhus in order to go wandering through the countryside?"

The Blessed One rebuked them with countless skillful means and then said to the bhikkhus:

"These are foolish men; they are a field for planting many seeds of the āsavas; they are the first offenders of this precept. From now on, I shall establish a rule for the bhikkhus comprising ten principles, extending to the principle of the longevity of the true Dharma."

The rule to be recited is as follows:

Should any bhikkhu whose robe-making is finished and whose kaṭhina has been relinquished receive out-of-season robe cloth, if he needs it he may accept it; having accepted it, he should quickly make it into a robe. If sufficient, that is well; if not sufficient, he is permitted to keep it for one month while waiting for it to become sufficient. If he keeps it beyond that limit, it is a nissaggiya pācittiya.

B. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Robe-making finished: having the three robes complete, and the kaṭhina relinquished.

Season: if the kaṭhina has not been received, one month after the Pravāraṇā ceremony; if the kaṭhina has been received, five months after the Pravāraṇā ceremony.

Out of season: if this robe cloth has exceeded its time limit.

Robe: there are ten types as stated above.

If within ten days, robe cloth of the same type becomes sufficient, it should be cut and trimmed and roughly made into a robe. Or one may perform the act of净施 (purification by dedication) or give it to another person. If one does not cut and trim it, does not roughly make it into a robe, does not perform净施, and does not give it to another person, then on the eleventh day, when dawn appears, according to the number of pieces of robe cloth, more or less, one commits nissaggiya pācittiya.

If robe cloth of the same type is not sufficient, and on the eleventh day robe cloth of the same type becomes sufficient, on that very day one must cut and trim it and roughly make it into a robe. If one does not cut and trim it, does not roughly make it into a robe, does not perform净施, and does not entrust it to another person, then on the twelfth day, when dawn appears, according to the number of pieces of robe cloth, more or less, one commits nissaggiya pācittiya.

This applies likewise up to the twenty-ninth day. If robe cloth of the same type is not sufficient, and on the thirtieth day it is sufficient or not sufficient, of the same type or not of the same type, on that day one must cut and trim it and roughly make it into a robe, or perform净施, or entrust it to another person. If one does not cut and trim it, does not roughly make it into a robe, does not perform净施, and does not entrust it to another person, then on the thirty-first day, when dawn appears, it is nissaggiya pācittiya.

This nissaggiya offense must be forfeited to the Saṅgha, to a group of bhikkhus, or to a single individual; it may not be forfeited to a separate assembly. If the forfeiture is not properly carried out, the forfeiture is invalid and one commits a dukkaṭa.

When forfeiting to the Saṅgha, one must go before the Saṅgha, uncover the right shoulder, remove one's sandals, bow to the senior elder, place the right knee on the ground, join the palms, and recite:

"Venerable Saṅgha, please listen! I, the bhikkhu named …, have this robe cloth, which I have kept beyond the permitted number of days, committing a nissaggiya offense. I now forfeit it to the Saṅgha."

After forfeiting, one must confess the offense. The one who receives the confession must make a formal announcement:

"Venerable Saṅgha, please listen! This bhikkhu named … has this robe cloth, which he has kept beyond the permitted number of days, committing a nissaggiya offense, and now forfeits it to the Saṅgha. If it is appropriate to the Saṅgha, the Saṅgha consents; I receive the confession of the bhikkhu named … This is the formal announcement."

Having made the formal announcement in this way, one may then receive the confession. When receiving the confession, one should say to the offender:

"Examine your own mind!"

The offender replies:

"I shall do so."

The Saṅgha should immediately return the robe cloth to this bhikkhu by means of the formal act of a single-announcement-with-one-motion (ñattidutiya kamma) as follows: One capable of performing the formal act should be appointed in the Saṅgha, and based on the above matter, should make the announcement:

"Venerable Saṅgha, please listen! This bhikkhu named … has this robe cloth, which he has kept beyond the permitted number of days, committing a nissaggiya offense; he now forfeits it to the Saṅgha. If it is appropriate to the Saṅgha, the Saṅgha consents to return this robe cloth to the bhikkhu named … This is the formal announcement."

"Venerable Saṅgha, please listen! This bhikkhu named … has this robe cloth, which he has kept beyond the permitted number of days, committing a nissaggiya offense; he now forfeits it to the Saṅgha. The Saṅgha now returns this robe cloth to the bhikkhu named … Those elders who agree that the Saṅgha return this robe cloth to the bhikkhu named … should remain silent. Those who do not agree, please speak."

"The Saṅgha has agreed to return the robe cloth to the bhikkhu named … The Saṅgha's consent is expressed by silence. This matter is recorded accordingly."

If within the Saṅgha the robe cloth is forfeited but not returned, one commits a dukkaṭa. When it is being returned, if someone says "do not return it," that person commits a dukkaṭa. If the robe is not returned, and instead is transferred by净施, or given to another person, or made into a set of three robes, or made into a pārikāra robe, or deliberately ruined, or burned, or made into a non-robe, or worn continuously until worn out—all of these are dukkaṭa offenses.

For a bhikkhunī, it is nissaggiya pācittiya. For a sikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī, it is a dukkaṭa. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: Keeping it within ten days. If robe cloth of the same type becomes sufficient, cutting and trimming it and roughly making it into a robe. If robe cloth of the same type is not sufficient, and on the eleventh day robe cloth of the same type becomes sufficient, cutting and trimming it and roughly making it into a robe, or performing净施, or entrusting it to another person. This applies up to the twenty-ninth day in the same manner. On the thirtieth day, whether sufficient or not sufficient, of the same type or not of the same type, if within that day one cuts and trims it and roughly makes it into a robe, or performs净施, or entrusts it to another person, then there is no offense.

If one thinks it has been seized, thinks it has been lost, thinks it has been burned, or thinks it has been carried away by water, and therefore does not cut and trim it, does not roughly make it into a robe, does not perform净施, and does not entrust it to another person, there is no offense. If the robe is seized, the robe is lost, the robe is burned, or the robe is carried away by water, and one takes another to wear, or is given another to wear, or makes a blanket—there is no offense.

If the bhikkhu entrusted with keeping the robe dies, or has gone far away, or has left the training, or is harmed by bandits, or is harmed by wild beasts, or is carried away by water, so that one cannot cut and trim it, cannot trim it, cannot make it into a robe, and cannot entrust it to another person—there is no offense.

Those who are not offenders: the first offender before the rule was established; one who is insane, of disturbed mind, or afflicted with pain and distress.

Vietnamese translation by Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. FOUR-PART VINAYA, PART ONE

Translated into Chinese by Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated by Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation, volumes 1–21; Vietnamese translation, volumes 1–2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002