Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 25Sewing Robes

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

25. SEWING ROBES FOR BHIKKHUNĪS

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the city of Sāvatthī. At that time, a bhikkhunī wished to have a saṅghāṭī made; needing a robe sewn, she went to the monastery and said to the Venerable Kāḷudāyī:

"Venerable Sir, I have brought this cloth to have a saṅghāṭī made. I ask that the Venerable One sew it for me."

Kāḷudāyī replied:

"I am unable to sew it."

The bhikkhunī asked:

"Why will the Venerable One not sew it for me?"

Kāḷudāyī said:

"Because you bhikkhunīs like to come and press me, therefore I will not sew it."

The bhikkhunī said:

"I will not come to press you. You may finish it whenever you wish."

Kāḷudāyī replied:

"Very well."

The bhikkhunī handed the cloth to Kāḷudāyī and departed.

Kāḷudāyī was highly skilled in the craft of sewing robes, and he cut and sewed it straightaway. Kāḷudāyī drew images of men and women in sexual union and sewed them into the robe. When the bhikkhunī came to the monastery and asked Kāḷudāyī:

"Venerable Sir, has my robe been finished yet?"

Kāḷudāyī said:

"It is finished."

The bhikkhunī said:

"If it is finished, please let me receive it."

Kāḷudāyī folded the robe and gave it to the bhikkhunī, instructing her: "Sister, this robe must not be casually unfolded and looked at; nor must it be shown to others. Only when you are summoned at the appointed time should you bring it out to wear, and when you walk, you must walk behind the assembly of bhikkhunīs."

The bhikkhunī followed his instructions, did not unfold it to look at it, and told no one about it. Some time later, when going to hear the teaching of the precepts, she put on this robe and walked behind the assembly of bhikkhunīs. All the laypeople who saw it criticized her, laughed and mocked her, some clapping their hands and pointing, some beating sticks, some whistling, some laughing loudly, saying:

"Everyone look at the robe this bhikkhunī is wearing! Everyone look at the robe this bhikkhunī is wearing!"

At that time, the bhikkhunī Mahāpajāpatī saw this and said to that bhikkhunī:

"Take off that robe and fold it up!"

The bhikkhunī immediately took it off and folded it, draped it over her shoulder, and walked on. After the meal was finished and they had returned to the monastery, the bhikkhunī Mahāpajāpatī said to that bhikkhunī:

"Bring the robe you were wearing just now and show it to me."

That bhikkhunī brought the robe and presented it. She asked:

"Who sewed this robe for you?"

"Venerable Sir, Kāḷudāyī sewed it."

"Why did you not unfold it to look at it, or show it to your companions to see whether the sewing was good and durable?"

At that moment the bhikkhunī related to her in full the instructions Kāḷudāyī had given.

At that time, among the assembly of bhikkhunīs there were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the dhūta qualities, were fond of training in the precepts, and possessed a sense of shame and remorse. They reproached Kāḷudāyī: "Why, when sewing a robe for a bhikkhunī, did he sew it in such a manner?"

At that time, the bhikkhunīs reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus then went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the community of bhikkhus, and though he already knew, he asked Kāḷudāyī:

"Did you truly sew a robe for a bhikkhunī in such a manner?"

Kāḷudāyī replied:

"Blessed One, it is indeed so."

The Blessed One rebuked Kāḷudāyī with numerous skillful means:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the way of a samaṇa, not a pure practice, not a proper and fitting action — you have done what should not be done. Why, when sewing a robe for a bhikkhunī, did you sew it in such a manner?"

Having rebuked Kāḷudāyī, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish man is a field that plants many seeds of the āsavas; he is the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down the rule for the bhikkhus, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

Wishing to proclaim the rule, it should be proclaimed thus:

Whatever bhikkhu sews a robe for a bhikkhunī — pācittiya.

The Blessed One having laid down this rule for the bhikkhus in this way, the bhikkhus were cautious and dared not sew robes even for bhikkhunīs who were their relatives, and they reported this to the Buddha. The Buddha instructed:

"From now on, bhikkhus are permitted to sew robes for bhikkhunīs who are their relatives."

From now on, the rule should be proclaimed thus:

Whatever bhikkhu sews a robe for a bhikkhunī who is not a relative — pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Not a relative, relative: as explained above.

Robe: there are ten kinds, as previously explained.

If that bhikkhu sews a robe for a bhikkhunī who is not his relative, according to however many cuts are made, whether many or few, he commits a pācittiya. For each single act of sewing, each stitch is one pācittiya offense.

If he tries on the robe to examine it, or pulls it out and presses it straight, or strokes it with his hand, or pulls the corners to straighten them, or ties off, or hems, or fastens the thread, or joins the thread — all of these constitute a dukkaṭa offense.

For a bhikkhunī: dukkaṭa. For a sikkhamānā, sāmaṇera, or sāmaṇerī: dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: sewing a robe for a bhikkhunī who is a relative; sewing for the Saṅgha; sewing for a stūpa; or borrowing a robe to wear, then washing and dyeing it before returning it to its owner — these are not offenses.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits an act before the rule has been laid down for the first time; one who is insane, mentally deranged, or afflicted with severe pain and compelled by it.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002