Lzh Dg Bu Vb Np 8Requesting Fine Robes From a Robe Fund

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– NISSAGGIYA PĀCITTIYA

8. URGING A LAY DONOR TO INCREASE A ROBE FUND

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika garden, the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī.

At that time, a certain bhikkhu who was on his alms round, at the proper time, having put on his robe and taken up his bowl, entered the city of Śrāvastī. He came to the house of a lay donor to ask for food, and overheard the lay donor and his wife deliberating together: "Bhadananda, the son of the Śākyas, is an old acquaintance of ours. We should take this amount of money, purchase a robe of such-and-such a kind, and present it as an offering to that bhikkhu." After completing his alms round, the bhikkhu returned to the monastery and, meeting Bhadananda the son of the Śākyas, said to him:

"There is no one of the Gautama clan who possesses such great merit as you."

Bhadananda the son of the Śākyas immediately asked:

"What is it about me that makes you say I am a person of merit?"

The alms-going bhikkhu replied:

"When I entered the city on my alms round, I overheard the lay donor and his wife deliberating together like this: 'Bhadananda the son of the Śākyas is an old acquaintance of ours. We should take this amount of money, purchase a robe of such-and-such a kind, and present it as an offering.'"

Bhadananda then asked:

"Is it truly so?"

The bhikkhu answered:

"It is truly so."

Bhadananda further asked:

"Where does that lay donor's household lie, and in which direction does the gate face?"

The alms-going bhikkhu replied:

"That lay donor's house is in such-and-such a place, and the gate faces such-and-such a direction."

Bhadananda then said to the alms-going bhikkhu:

"Indeed, that person is my old close acquaintance and a faithful donor who regularly makes offerings to me — just as you have said."

Early the next morning, Bhadananda put on his robe, took up his bowl, and entered the city of Śrāvastī. He went to the lay donor's house and said:

"Does the lay donor wish to give me a robe?"

The lay donor said:

"I have been privately deliberating about that."

Bhadananda said to the lay donor:

"If you wish to give me a robe, then you should have it made long and wide, of a durable and fine quality — that would make it a proper robe for me to receive and keep. If it does not meet those standards, I will not accept it, so what would be the point of having it made?"

At that, the lay donor expressed his resentment:

"The śramaṇa sons of the Śākyas have no sense of shame or remorse; they have many desires and know no contentment. Outwardly they proclaim, 'I know the true Dharma,' yet they coerce others and demand fine robes. Where is the true Dharma in that? Even if the giver does not tire of giving, the receiver ought to know when enough is enough. And how is it that someone would eavesdrop on a private conversation?"

At that time, bhikkhus who were on their alms rounds heard this and reproached Bhadananda the son of the Śākyas:

"Why did you coerce someone into giving you a fine robe like that?"

The alms-going bhikkhus then left the city, returned to the monastery, and brought this matter to the other bhikkhus.

Among them, there were those of few desires, who were contented, who practiced the austere virtues, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who had a sense of shame and remorse. They reproached Bhadananda the son of the Śākyas:

"Why did you coerce someone, demanding that they give you a fine robe?"

Having finished reproaching him, they went to where the Blessed One was, bowed their heads at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this entire matter fully to the Blessed One.

At that time, the Blessed One, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of the Sangha of bhikkhus and rebuked Bhadananda the son of the Śākyas:

"What you have done is wrong; it is not proper conduct, not pure practice, not in accordance with right behavior — it is something that should not be done. Why did you go to that person and coerce him into giving you a fine robe?"

Having rebuked him, the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus:

"This is a foolish person; he is a source of planting many seeds of defilement, and he is the first to commit this offense. From this time forward, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus comprising ten principles … up to the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

The precept should be proclaimed as follows:

"Should any bhikkhu, when a lay donor or his wife has set aside funds for a robe for a bhikkhu, thinking: 'With these funds I will purchase such-and-such a robe for the bhikkhu of such-and-such a name' — should that bhikkhu then go to the lay donor's house and say: 'It would be good, lay donor, if you would purchase for me such-and-such a robe' — out of desire for something finer — if he receives a robe, it is a nissaggiya pācittiya."

After the Blessed One had laid down this rule for the bhikkhus, there was at that time a lay donor who wished to offer a robe according to the bhikkhu's own wishes, and so asked:

"Venerable One, what kind of robe do you need?"

The bhikkhu felt uncertain and did not dare to reply. The Buddha instructed:

"If a lay donor requests a bhikkhu to indicate his preference, he may reply."

Again, there was a lay donor who wished to offer a bhikkhu a costly robe, but that bhikkhu, being one of few desires and contentment, had no need for such a highly expensive robe and wished for a less expensive one. That bhikkhu felt uncertain and was reluctant to express his wish. The Buddha instructed:

"Bhikkhus who are of few desires and contentment are permitted to request a less expensive robe."

From this time forward, the rule shall be proclaimed as follows:

Should any bhikkhu, when a lay donor or his wife has set aside funds for a robe for a bhikkhu, thinking: "With these funds I will purchase such-and-such a robe for the bhikkhu of such-and-such a name" — should that bhikkhu, not having been previously invited to make a request as he wishes, go to the lay donor's house and say: "It would be good, lay donor, if you would purchase for me such-and-such a robe" — out of desire for something finer — if he receives a robe, it is a nissaggiya pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: the meaning is as explained above.

Lay donor, wife of a lay donor: as explained before.

Funds for a robe: the sum of money set aside to acquire a robe — whether gold, silver, pearls, lapis lazuli, conch shells, precious stones, ornamental jewels, or gold leaf.

Robe: there are ten kinds, as stated previously.

Requesting: there are two ways. The first is requesting money to purchase a robe; the second is requesting the robe itself.

—Requesting money for a robe: the lay donor has set aside funds for a robe up to a certain amount, and the bhikkhu requests more, even if only one-sixteenth of a monetary unit.

—Requesting a robe: telling the lay donor to make a formal robe of such-and-such length and width, even asking for as little as a single thread more.

Should this bhikkhu, not having previously been invited to express his wishes freely, go and request a costly robe of greater length and width, if he receives the robe it is a nissaggiya pācittiya. If he requests but does not receive, it is a dukkaṭa.

This nissaggiya offense must be forfeited to the Sangha, or to a group, or to a single individual; it may not be forfeited to a separate assembly. If the forfeiture is performed in an invalid manner, it is a dukkaṭa.

When forfeiting to the Sangha, he should go before the Sangha, uncover the right shoulder, remove his sandals, bow to the senior elder, kneel with the right knee touching the ground, join his palms, and say:

"Venerable Sangha, please listen! I, the bhikkhu named ……, not having been previously invited to express my wishes freely regarding an offering of a robe, went and requested a costly robe. I have committed a forfeiture offense and now forfeit it to the Sangha."

Having forfeited it, he should confess the offense. The one receiving the confession should first make a formal announcement as follows:

"Venerable Sangha, please listen! This bhikkhu named …… not having been previously invited to express his wishes freely regarding an offering of a robe, went and requested a costly robe. He has committed a forfeiture offense and now forfeits it to the Sangha. If it is agreeable to the Sangha, the Sangha consents to my receiving the confession of the bhikkhu named ……. This is the formal announcement."

After the announcement, he may then receive the confession. The one receiving the confession should instruct the offending bhikkhu:

"Examine your own mind with reproach!"

The offending bhikkhu says:

"I will do so."

The Sangha should then return the robe to this bhikkhu immediately, by means of a resolution with one announcement and one motion (ñattidutiiyakamma), as follows: The Sangha should appoint a capable member to perform the kammavācā, who, based on the matter at hand, makes the announcement:

"Venerable Sangha, please listen! This bhikkhu named ……, not having been previously invited to express his wishes freely when the robe was being offered, went and requested a costly robe. He has committed a forfeiture offense and now forfeits it to the Sangha. If it is agreeable to the Sangha, the Sangha consents to returning this robe to the bhikkhu named ……. This is the formal announcement."

"Venerable Sangha, please listen! This bhikkhu named ……, not having been previously invited to express his wishes freely regarding an offering of a robe, went and requested a costly robe. He has committed a forfeiture offense and now forfeits it to the Sangha. The Sangha now returns this robe to this bhikkhu. Those elders who agree that the Sangha should return this robe to this bhikkhu should remain silent. Those who do not agree, please speak."

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

If this bhikkhu has forfeited the robe before the Sangha and the Sangha does not return it, it is a dukkaṭa. If during the return someone says "do not return it," that person commits a dukkaṭa.

If, instead of returning it, it is transferred as a pariṇāmanā, or given to another person, or made into one of the three robes, or made into a pārikāra robe, or deliberately damaged, or burned, or worn until worn out — all of these are dukkaṭa.

For a bhikkhunī, it is a nissaggiya pācittiya. For a sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī, it is a dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if he had previously been invited to express his wishes freely, and then goes to make a request; if he is contented and requests only the minimum; if he goes to request from relatives; if he goes to request from those who have gone forth; or if one requests on another's behalf or another requests on one's behalf; or if he receives without having requested — there is no offense.

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

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Publication Committee 2002