Lzh Mg Bi Vb Np 7Accepting Too Many Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Tatuttari
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
The Tatuttari Sutta: The Acceptance of Too Many Robes
Background
The Tatuttari Sutta appears in the Nisaggiya Pācittiya section (offenses entailing forfeiture) of the Vinaya Piṭaka, recording regulations concerning the ownership and acceptance of robes by monks and nuns. In the context of Theravāda Buddhism, robes are not merely clothing but a symbol of the renunciant life—a sign of the relinquishment of worldly possessions.
The regulations concerning robes reflect the Buddha's teachings on restraint, the avoidance of waste, and the management of the Saṅgha's communal property. According to the Pātimokkha, each bhikkhu is permitted to possess three robes: the kṣāya-cīvara (the robe worn daily), the uttarāsaṅga (the upper robe), and the antaravāsa (the inner robe). To exceed this number is regarded as greed and as incompatible with a life of simplicity.
Main Content
The Tatuttari Sutta states clearly: if a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī accepts robes beyond the permitted number, that person commits a Nisaggiya Pācittiya offense—that is, an offense requiring the forfeiture of the article in question and confession before the Saṅgha. The word "tatuttari" (exceeding three) is precisely the name given to this transgression.
This regulation is not unreasonably strict. When a bhikkhu receives an additional robe—for example, from a lay devotee—the Saṅgha's rules specify that he must relinquish one of his existing robes in order to maintain the proper number. If he accepts additional robes without performing such relinquishment, that constitutes an offense. This teaches monks and nuns an important lesson: one should not allow the accumulation of possessions, even those that may appear as necessary as clothing.
Practical Significance
The Tatuttari Sutta expresses a profound philosophy of non-acquisitiveness and simplicity in Buddhism. The aim is not to make life difficult for monks and nuns or to bring about conditions of deprivation, but to train the mind in relinquishment and to prevent the formation of habits of accumulation.
🌏 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.