Lzh Dg Bu Vb Np 6Asking an Unrelated Person for Robes

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– NISSAGGIYA PĀCITTIYA

6. ASKING FOR ROBES FROM A NON-RELATIVE HOUSEHOLD

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

1. ASKING FOR ROBES FROM A NON-RELATIVE

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the park of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the land of Śrāvastī. At that time, there was a householder in the city of Śrāvastī who, in the morning, had his carriage harnessed and set out with his retinue to a park. On the return journey, he turned his carriage toward the Jeta Grove monastery. Leaving the carriage outside the gate of the Jeta Grove, he entered on foot and went to meet Bhadananda, son of the Śākyas. He paid his respects, exchanged greetings, and then sat down before him to listen to the Dharma.

Bhadananda, son of the Śākyas, was a person of eloquence and wisdom, skilled in expounding the Dharma. He taught the Dharma to this householder in many different ways, instructing, encouraging, and inspiring joy in the householder's heart. Having listened to the Dharma, the householder said to Bhadananda:

"Please tell me, Venerable One, what do you need?"

Bhadananda replied:

"I need nothing at all. This very offer is already an act of generosity."

The householder said again:

"Please do speak. If there is something you need, you need not be hesitant."

Bhadananda said:

"Enough, enough. Do not trouble yourself asking further. Even if I had something I needed, you, householder, would not be able to give it."

The householder said again:

"Please do speak. I will provide according to whatever you need."

At that time, the householder was wearing a long, wide, and precious white silk robe. Bhadananda said:

"The robe you are wearing — could you give it to me? That is what I need."

The householder replied:

"Come to my home tomorrow morning and I will give it to you."

Bhadananda said:

"I told you beforehand, 'Even if I had something I needed, you, householder, would not be able to give it.' That has now proven true as I said."

The householder replied:

"I am giving it to you — it is not that I am refusing. But come tomorrow, and I will give you this robe, or something even finer. If I were to remove this robe now and offer it to you, I could do so, but I cannot enter the city of Śrāvastī without a robe."

Bhadananda said:

"Enough, enough. I no longer want it."

At that, the householder became angry and displeased. He then removed his robe, folded it, and handed it to Bhadananda, saying:

"I told the Venerable One to come tomorrow and I would give this robe, or something even finer. But the Venerable One did not trust me, and so now I must enter the city of Śrāvastī wrapped in only a single garment."

The householder then left the Jeta Grove monastery, mounted his carriage, and entered the city clad in only one garment. The gatekeeper, seeing this, asked the householder:

"Where are you coming from? Who robbed you of your robe?"

The householder said:

"I have just been robbed by a bandit within the Jeta Grove."

At once, the gatekeeper seized a knife and club, intending to go to the Jeta Grove. The householder said:

"Enough, enough. There is no need to go."

The gatekeeper asked:

"Why is that?"

The householder then recounted the circumstances in full. The laypeople who heard it all reproached him, saying: "The Śākyan śramaṇas are full of desire, do not know contentment, and are without shame. They claim outwardly that they know the true Dharma. What true Dharma is there in this? How could he insist on obtaining the robe that the householder was wearing on his very body? Though the donors give without growing weary, those who receive must know the meaning of contentment."

Among the monks who heard this, those who were of few desires and contentment, who lived the ascetic practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who knew a sense of shame, reproached Bhadananda, son of the Śākyas: "How could you insist on obtaining the precious robe that the householder was wearing on his own person?"

The monks then went to the place of the Blessed One, bowed at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter to the Buddha in full. At that time, the Blessed One assembled the monks. Though he already knew, he nonetheless asked Bhadananda:

"Is it true that you insisted on obtaining the robe that the householder was wearing on his very body?"

Bhadananda replied:

"Blessed One, it is so."

The Blessed One reproached Bhadananda with numerous expedient means, saying:

"What you have done is wrong. It is not proper conduct, not the way of a śramaṇa, not pure practice, not conduct in accord with the path, and it is something that should not be done. How could you insist on asking for the robe that the householder was wearing on his own person?"

Having reproached him, the Buddha said to the monks:

"Bhadananda is a foolish person, one in whom many seeds of defilement are planted, and he is the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall establish a precept for the monks, for ten reasons, up to and including: that the true Dharma may long endure."

To proclaim the precept, it should be stated thus:

"Whatever monk asks for robes from a householder — nissaggiya pācittiya."

When the Blessed One had thus established this precept for the monks, the monks all became fearful and careful, not daring to ask for robes even from householders who were relatives. The Buddha instructed:

"Monks asking for robes from householders who are relatives — there is no offense."

From this day forward, the precept to be proclaimed should be stated as follows:

"Whatever monk asks for robes from a householder who is not a relative — nissaggiya pācittiya."

2. THE MONK WHOSE ROBES WERE STOLEN

After the Blessed One had thus established this precept for the monks, at that time a large number of monks who had completed the rains retreat in the land of Kosala observed the Pravāraṇā ceremony on the fifteenth day. On the sixteenth day, taking their robes and bowls, they set out to visit the Blessed One. Because the heat of the day was too intense for travel, they set out at night. They lost their way onto a dangerous road and encountered a den of bandits. The bandits had just robbed people of a large amount of wealth and brought it back to that place. The bandits encountered the monks on the dangerous road and asked:

"Have you come here looking for us?"

The monks replied:

"We were not looking for you. We have just completed the rains retreat in the land of Kosala, observed the Pravāraṇā ceremony on the fifteenth day, and on the sixteenth day took up our robes and bowls intending to go and visit the Blessed One. We came from there. During the day the heat was too great for us to travel; traveling at night, we lost our way and ended up here. We were not looking for you."

The bandits said:

"If you were not looking for us, why did you come by this road? Do you not intend to harm us?"

Having said this, they beat the monks nearly to death and seized their robes and bowls. The monks had to walk naked and came to stand outside the gate of the Jeta Grove. Other monks who saw them said:

"You Nirgrantha naked ascetics are not permitted to enter the Jeta Grove."

Those monks said:

"We are not Nirgranthas. We are Śākyan śramaṇas."

At that time, the Venerable Upāli was walking in meditation not far away. The monks went and asked the Venerable:

"There are a number of naked people standing outside the gate. We said to them, 'Venerables, you are Nirgranthas; do not enter the Jeta Grove monastery.' Those people said, 'We are not Nirgranthas; we are Śākyan śramaṇas.'"

The monks then said to the Venerable Upāli:

"Venerable One, please go out and look, and see who they are."

The Venerable went outside the gate and asked:

"Who are you?"

They answered:

"We are Śākyan śramaṇas."

He asked again:

"How many years of age do you have?"

They answered:

"We are of such-and-such an age."

He asked again:

"When did you receive ordination?"

They answered:

"We received ordination in such-and-such a year."

He asked again:

"Who is your preceptor?"

They answered:

"Our preceptor's name is such-and-such."

"Why are you naked?"

The monks then recounted all the circumstances that had occurred in full. At that time, the Venerable Upāli returned to the other monks and said:

"Those are not Nirgranthas; they are Śākyan śramaṇas."

Then the Venerable Upāli said to those monks:

"You should temporarily borrow robes to wear. You should not go before the Blessed One in a state of nakedness."

The monks then borrowed robes, put them on, and went to the place of the Blessed One. They bowed at his feet and sat to one side.

At that time, the Blessed One comforted them and asked the monks:

"Are you in good health? In your traveling and dwelling, have you been harmonious and at ease? Have you not suffered on account of food and drink?"

The monks replied:

"Blessed One, we are in good health. In our traveling and dwelling we have been harmonious and at ease. We have not suffered on account of food and drink. We completed the rains retreat in the land of Kosala, observed the Pravāraṇā ceremony, and taking our robes and bowls, wished to come and pay our respects to the Blessed One. During the day the heat was too great to travel, so we traveled at night, lost our way, and encountered bandits…" They then recounted all the circumstances in full to the Blessed One, as described above.

At that time, the Blessed One reproached the monks with numerous expedient means, saying:

"You have acted wrongly, in a manner unbefitting proper conduct, unbefitting the deportment of a monk, unbefitting pure practice, unbefitting appropriate behavior — you have done what should not be done. You are foolish men; why do you go about naked? If one goes about naked, one commits a dukkaṭa.

If one encounters such a situation, one should cover oneself with soft grass or leaves, then go to the nearest monastery. First, if there is a spare robe, one should take it to wear. If there is none, one should ask bhikkhus of one's acquaintance whether they have a spare robe to lend.

If one's acquaintances have no robe, one should ask within the Sangha whether there is any robe that can be shared. If there is, it should be shared; if there is none, one should ask whether there are any furnishings. If there are furnishings, they should be handed over; if nothing is handed over, one should open the storeroom oneself and see whether there are blankets, floor coverings, quilts, coverlets, or the like — take from these, cut them into a robe to cover oneself, and then go out to seek a robe."

At that time the bhikkhus, being scrupulous and afraid, did not dare to carry articles from one place to another. The Buddha instructed:

"It is permitted."

At that time, bhikkhus whose robes had been seized, lost, burned, or carried away by water, being scrupulous and afraid, did not dare to wear the Sangha's robes. The Buddha instructed:

"It is permitted to wear them."

After the bhikkhus had received the robes, they did not return them to their proper place in the Sangha. The Buddha instructed: "It should not be so. After receiving a robe, one should wash, dye, and mend it, then return it to its proper place. If one does not return it to its proper place, one shall be dealt with according to the rule."

At that time, there were bhikkhus whose robes had been seized, lost, burned, or carried away by water, who, being scrupulous and afraid, did not dare to go to lay men or lay women who were not their relatives to ask for robes. The Buddha instructed: "If a robe is lost, seized, burned, or carried away by water, it is permitted to go to lay men or lay women who are not relatives and ask for a robe."

Henceforth the rule shall be recited as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu requests a robe from a lay man or lay woman who is not a relative — nissaggiya pācittiya — except in special circumstances. The special circumstances are: if the bhikkhu's robe has been seized, lost, burned, or carried away by water. These are the special circumstances.

B. THE ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Relative, non-relative: as explained above.

Lay man, lay woman: also as explained above.

Robe: there are ten kinds, as presented above.

If any bhikkhu requests a robe from a lay man or lay woman who is not a relative — nissaggiya pācittiya — except in special circumstances.

This nissaggiya article should be relinquished to the Sangha, or to a group of monks, or to a single individual; it may not be relinquished outside the full assembly. If the relinquishment is not properly made, the offense is a dukkaṭa.

When relinquishing to the Sangha, one should go before the Sangha with the right shoulder bare, remove one's sandals, pay respects to the senior elder, kneel with the right knee touching the ground, join the palms together, and declare:

"Venerable Sangha, please hear me. I, the bhikkhu named …, having requested a robe from a lay man or lay woman who is not a relative, have committed a nissaggiya offense, and now I relinquish it to the Sangha."

Having relinquished it, one must confess the offense. First, the one who receives the confession must make a formal announcement:

"Venerable Sangha, please hear me. This bhikkhu named …, having requested a robe from a lay man or lay woman who is not a relative, has committed a nissaggiya offense, and now relinquishes it to the Sangha. If it is the proper time for the Sangha, may the Sangha consent; I shall receive the confession of this bhikkhu. This is the announcement."

After making the announcement, one then receives the confession. The one who receives the confession should say to that bhikkhu:

"You should reproach your own mind."

He replies:

"I shall do so."

The Sangha should immediately return the robe to this person by means of a formal act with one announcement and one motion (ñattidutiakamma), as follows. The Sangha should appoint a capable bhikkhu to carry out the formal act, and based on the above matter, make the announcement:

"Venerable Sangha, please hear me. This bhikkhu named …, having requested a robe from a lay man or lay woman who is not a relative, has committed a nissaggiya offense, and now relinquishes it to the Sangha. If it is the proper time for the Sangha, may the Sangha consent to return this robe to the bhikkhu named … This is the announcement."

"Venerable Sangha, please hear me. This bhikkhu named …, having requested a robe from a lay man or lay woman who is not a relative, has committed a nissaggiya offense, and now relinquishes it to the Sangha. Now the Sangha returns this robe to this bhikkhu. Those elders who agree to the Sangha's returning this robe to this bhikkhu should remain silent. Those who do not agree, please speak."

"The Sangha has consented to return the robe to the bhikkhu named … The Sangha has consented and therefore remains silent. This matter is recorded as such."

If the offender has relinquished the robe within the Sangha and the Sangha does not return it, this is a dukkaṭa. When returning the robe, if someone says "do not return it," that person commits a dukkaṭa.

If the robe is not returned but is instead converted into a vessel for pure use, or given to another person, or used to make the three robes, or made into a pārikāra robe, or intentionally damaged, or burned, or kept on until it wears out — all of these are dukkaṭa offenses.

For a bhikkhunī — nissaggiya pācittiya. For a sikkhamānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī — dukkaṭa. These constitute the offenses.

Non-offense: if the robe has been seized, lost, burned, or carried away by water, one is permitted to request a robe from a lay man or lay woman who is not a relative; or to request from one who has gone forth in the same dispensation; or to request on behalf of another, or for another to request on one's behalf; or if one receives a robe without having sought it — these are not offenses.

Those who are not offenders: the first one to offend before the rule was laid down; one who is insane; one whose mind is deranged; one who is overwhelmed by painful affliction.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revision and annotation: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation fascicles 1–21, Vietnamese translation volumes 1 and 2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002