Lzh Mg Bi Vb 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.
Upakkhata Sutta: Requesting Fine Cloth Robes From the Robe Fund of the District
Background
The Upakkhata Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, forming part of the disciplinary teachings for the Sangha. This Vinaya is recorded within the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, pertaining to the rules of conduct for bhikkhunīs. The matter of requesting robes is addressed in order to clarify the principles of restraint, equality, and respect within the Buddhist community.
According to the Theravāda tradition, the material needs of monks and nuns are not private matters but concerns that involve the entire community. Accordingly, funds designated for robes, food, and medicine are administered publicly, so as to prevent injustice or favoritism. The Upakkhata Sutta addresses situations in which monastics request finer robes from the communal funds of the Sangha, thereby establishing standards for legitimate reasons and proper procedures for making such requests.
Main Content
Upakkhata (from "upakkhatī" — to request, to solicit item by item) concerns the matter of a bhikkhunī or bhikkhu requesting finer cloth robes (bhaddha-cīvara) in place of the coarse robes ordinarily used by the majority of Sangha members. The Sutta instructs that requesting robes from the communal fund (saṅghika) is not permitted arbitrarily, but must conform to specific conditions.
A monastic is permitted to request finer cloth robes only when there is a legitimate reason: if the ordinary cloth is unsuitable for one's physical constitution (for example, in cases of dermatitis or allergic reactions), or when coarse cloth causes harm to one's health. The purpose is not to satisfy greed or to seek to elevate one's own status within the Sangha, but to address a genuine health need.
The Sutta also emphasizes that the Sangha's robe fund (saṅghika-cīvarakkhandha) is communal property, not belonging to any individual. Anyone who makes use of it without legitimate reason or out of greed will transgress one of the rules pertaining to communal property.
🌏 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.