Lzh Mg Bi Pm Np 8Requesting Fine Robes From a Robe Fund
Pāli / Sanskrit:Upakkhata
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Commentary on the Upakkhata
Requesting Fine Robes From a Robe Fund
Background
The Upakkhata appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the Code of Discipline for Nuns) or in related regulations concerning the community of female practitioners. The original context of the text dates to the time of the Buddha Gotama at Lumbinī and the other sacred sites of India, when rules governing the communal property of the Saṅgha of monks and nuns had already been established.
The word "Upakkhata" (उपक्षत) denotes a situation in which members of the Saṅgha wish to request fine-quality robes from a communal fund—a mechanism for distributing collective resources to meet the needs of the practice. This is not a matter of wealth or luxury, but of the fair and transparent stewardship of the monastic community's property.
Main Content
The text stipulates that when bhikkhunīs wish to use the communal fund to acquire robes suitable for the work of practice—such as an outer robe for going on almsround, a robe for sitting in meditation, or a robe with one shoulder covered in accordance with the proper rules—they must do so through a public and authorized procedure. They may not take robes on their own initiative, but must request permission from the fund's custodian or from the community.
The fundamental principle is transparency. If a bhikkhunī needs new robes, she must clearly state her reason and intended use. The robe fund is established to support the legitimate needs of the community, not for accumulation or for purposes incompatible with the life of practice.
The text also implies that requests for robes must not be made without cause. If a bhikkhunī already possesses robes that are still in serviceable condition, a request for new robes from the fund is not justified. This is how the Buddha-Dhamma teaches frugality—one of the fundamental virtues of the monastic.
Practical Significance
The Upakkhata contains a profound lesson concerning community and responsibility toward communal property. In Theravāda Buddhist society, monks and nuns are not separate individuals who accumulate extensive personal possessions; they are practitioners who bear responsibility toward one another.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.