Lzh Mg Bu Pm Pc 28Giving Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvaradāna
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Sūtra on the Giving of Robes (Cīvaradāna)
Background
The Cīvaradāna belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, situated specifically within the Bhikkhu Pātimokkha—the foundational code of discipline for the monastic community of Theravāda Buddhism. In the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of rigid disciplinary rules, but also a body of profound ethical and contemplative guidance.
The sūtra on the giving of robes was established in the context of the Buddha and his disciples practicing the way in deep forests. The matter of robes—the most basic possession of a bhikkhu in his religious life—became a subject of monastic regulation when monks fell into disputes, greed, or betrayal in the management, giving, or appropriation of one another's robes. These were concrete situations that moved the Buddha to promulgate rules in order to prevent prejudice, greed, and division.
Main Content
In the regulations concerning the giving of robes, the Buddha instructs how bhikkhus should properly offer and receive robes. The heart of this text concerns the principle of non-covetousness (anabhijjhā) and non-ill-will (avyāpāda) in the handling of monastic possessions.
The text stipulates that when offering a robe to a fellow practitioner, the one who gives must do so with a peaceful mind, acting voluntarily, without seeking personal benefit or renown. The one who receives must likewise be vigilant that no mind of anger or greed arises. This rule is intended to protect the purity of intention in both the giver and the receiver, for actions involving material possessions are very prone to giving rise to desire, jealousy, and conflict among members of the Saṅgha.
Furthermore, the regulation also determines who has the right to give, the proper manner of offering in accordance with the procedures of the community (saṅgha), and those circumstances in which the giving of a robe may give rise to problems of fairness or dispute. All of these provisions aim toward a single purpose: to maintain harmony (sāmaggī) and composure of mind within the monastic community.
Practical Significance
For contemporary practitioners, the sūtra on the giving of robes is not merely a set of historical rules.
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