Ka Bu Pm Np 25Taking Back Robe-Cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvaraacchindana
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The Discourse on Taking Back Robes (Cīvaraacchindana)
Background
The Discourse on Taking Back Robes (Cīvaraacchindana) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the legal and disciplinary section governing the Sangha in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This collection records actual situations arising in the bhikkhu community when issues related to robes (cīvara) caused disputes or impropriety.
Robes, or monastic garments, are not ordinary possessions but traditional symbols of going forth. In ancient Indian society, a bhikkhu possessed at most five robes, each with its own function in practice and service. Thus, disputes about robes were not only matters of property, but also touched upon the principles of practice and Sangha discipline.
This discourse is cited in trainings related to handling communal property, personal ownership, and situations in which a bhikkhu or a group of bhikkhus needs to take back robes that had been given or entrusted to another for legitimate reasons.
Main Content
The specific content of this discourse has not been fully translated, but based on the context of the Pāli Vinaya, it records regulations on how to proceed when a bhikkhu or the Sangha needs to take back robes previously given to someone else.
Typical cases include: when a bhikkhu gives robes to a friend out of kindness, but the recipient does not observe the discipline of a bhikkhu or acts immorally, the teacher has the right to take them back; when robes managed by the community are given to a member for temporary use, in a necessary case the Sangha may request their return for distribution to others; or when a bhikkhu leaves the Sangha or is expelled, the Sangha takes back the robes that person is using which were provided by the Sangha.
The basic principle is this: robes are not private property to be used arbitrarily. They are bound up with responsibility, discipline, and accord with the teachings of the Buddha-Dharma.
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