Lzh Mg Bi Vb Sk 13Not Enter Wearing Robe Like God Polou
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not enter wearing robe like god Polou
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Scripture Commentary: One Should Not Wear the Robe in the Manner of the God Polou
Background
This scripture belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the canonical collection focused on monastic discipline within the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not a philosophical text but rather a detailed system of rules designed to protect and sustain the nature of the renunciant life. Each prohibition (nissaggiya pācittiya or pācittiya) arises from a specific incident: when disciples of the Buddha committed a fault, the Buddha would establish a rule of law to prevent that conduct from recurring.
This scripture concerns the manner in which bhikkhus dress—one of the important aspects of monastic practice. The manner of dress is not merely a matter of hygiene or aesthetics; it also reflects the spirit of relinquishing attachment to fine appearance, expressing humility and distinguishing oneself from those who pursue the pleasures of worldly life.
Main Content
This prohibition stipulates that bhikkhus are not permitted to wear the outer robe (sanghāti or uttarāsaṅga) in the manner of divine beings in legend, particularly the god Polou (a figure from local mythology). In legend, the god Polou is described as wearing the outer robe in an ornate and splendid fashion, with unusual ways of fastening the robe or presenting the body in order to display power and beauty.
The scripture prohibits this conduct for a clear reason: when a bhikkhu imitates the manner of dress of worldly divine beings, it manifests the intention to seek spectacle and to cause others to pay attention to one's outward appearance. This is an act that violates the spirit of virtue (sīla) and of relinquishing the pleasures of the renunciant life.
Regulations such as these are intended to ensure that a bhikkhu's manner of dress must be simple and humble, befitting the purpose of practice. The outer robe is one component of the four requisites (parikkhāra cattāri), and the manner of its use must reflect wisdom and a mind of renunciation, rather than conceit or the desire to receive praise.
🌏 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.