Lzh Mg Bu Pm Np 14A New Blanket Should be Kept for Six Years
Pāli / Sanskrit:Chabbassa
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The Sutta on Chhabbassa: The Rule Governing the Use of New Robes
Background
The Chhabbassa Sutta (Six Years) is one of the important disciplinary regulations of the Buddhist Sangha, recorded in the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravāda tradition. The regulations concerning robes arose from the practical needs of monks and nuns—those monastics living within the cycle of disciplined practice, maintaining purity both in outward form and in spirit.
The regulation of monastic attire is by no means a trivial matter. In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, a monastic's robes are not only protection for the body but also a symbol of renunciation, humility, and self-restraint. This sutta came about when the Blessed One observed that certain monastics placed excessive value on new robes, or used them in a manner inconsistent with the spirit of practice, thereby giving rise to the arising of greed and attachment.
Main Content
The Chhabbassa Sutta stipulates that a new robe (a woven cloth or a bhikkhu's robe of proper use) must be kept and used for a minimum period of six years. This regulation is not an arbitrary imposition but rather a unified discipline aimed at achieving a higher purpose.
The reasoning behind this regulation has many dimensions. First, six years is a sufficient period of time for a new cloth to gradually wear out, thereby helping the monastic to train in non-attachment to things that are new, bright, or that stimulate desire. Second, this regulation counters wastefulness and encourages an attitude of frugality and respect for the labor of those who weave cloth and offer it to the Sangha. Third, in the context of a settled monastic community, where many members might request new robes each year, prolonged use reduces the burden upon the lay supporters who provide for the community.
The regulation is not absolutely rigid. If a robe becomes damaged or heavily worn before six years have passed and the monastic has credible evidence of this, a replacement may still be obtained. However, this condition must be verified by the monastic community or by the senior elders, so as to prevent the abuse of the regulation.
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