Lzh Mg Bu Vb Np 6Asking an Unrelated Person for Robes

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– NIḤSARGIKA RULES

– EXPLANATION OF THE SECOND PART OF THE THIRTY NIḤSARGIKA PĀYANTIKA RULES.

6. RULE: ASKING FOR ROBES FROM ONE WHO IS NOT A RELATIVE.

When the Buddha was residing at the city of Śrāvastī—as described in detail above—on the 8th, 14th, and 15th days, the people of the city came to pay homage to the Blessed One. At that time, there was a man named Abaṭṭha wearing two silk robes, who entered the Jetavana Monastery to pay homage to the Blessed One and then went to the place of the Elder Upananda, greeting him: "Respectful greetings to the Venerable."

Upananda replied: "May the householder be free from illness."

Abaṭṭha said: "I would like to view the various rooms and buildings."

Thereupon Upananda replied: "Certainly. Even those who do not wish to see, I would still lead them to look—how much more so those who already desire to see," and then led him up two flights of stairs, saying: "Look, householder: the intricate carvings, the magnificent paintings in five colors, the lapis-lazuli-colored floors, and the various beds, mattresses, and pillows…"

When the viewing was finished, the man said: "Truly marvelous, Venerable Sir."

Upananda said: "Your silk robe, too, is broad, fine, and exceedingly beautiful."

At that, Abaṭṭha said: "I would like to see the other rooms as well."

And so Upananda led him up to the third floor to look, as described in detail above, and again said: "…Your robe, too, is broad, fine, and exceedingly beautiful."

At that point the man thought: "This śramaṇa praises my robe—he must want to ask for it. Yet this bhikkhu is on familiar terms with the king and the powerful ministers. If I do not give it to him, he will bear me ill will." Having thought thus, he then said: "Venerable Sir, do you desire this robe?"

Upananda replied: "I do indeed desire it."

Abaṭṭha said: "Then come with me to my home and I will give you another robe."

Upananda said: "Oh, householder! Why do you speak of giving me another robe? I also have many fine pieces of silk, but none quite like this one. It is precisely because I wish to obtain one of the same kind of cloth as your robe, to sew a single robe from it. If it is your intention to give, then give me this robe—as for other fine ones, I have no need of them."

Abaṭṭha said: "I wear this robe when going to the king, to the elders, and when coming to pay homage to the Blessed One—these are matters I cannot simply set aside."

Upananda again said: "Why do you speak of giving me another robe? If you truly think that I lack fine silk and wish to make a gift to me, then give me this robe—as for other fine ones, I have no need of them."

Abaṭṭha said: "If the Venerable requires this kind of robe, then come with me to my home and I will give it to you."

Upananda said: "You do not understand the situation, nor do you know the complications that arise within a household. Supposing your parents or siblings were reluctant or displeased—even if you wished to give it, I could not accept it. If you are thus unable to make this offering and gain merit, it will be to the disadvantage of both of us because of those complications I have mentioned. Therefore, it is best that you give it to me here and now."

At that, Abaṭṭha, having refused with great difficulty yet still unable to prevail, removed his outer robe and handed it over, and wearing only his inner robe, departed for the city of Śrāvastī. At that time, many people of the city were making their way to pay homage to the Blessed One. Abaṭṭha then asked everyone he met: "Where are you all going today?"

They replied: "We intend to go to the Jetavana."

He said: "Do not go."

They asked: "Why not?"

He replied: "The śramaṇas are robbers."

They further asked: "Do they forcibly seize people's belongings?"

He replied: "Need you ask? Look at me—I went out wearing two silk robes and now I have only one left on my body."

Because of this, those who had no faith in the Buddha turned back into the city, while others were caught between belief and doubt, standing in silent deliberation. Those, however, who had faith in the Buddha-Dharma thought: "Such a thing is absolutely impossible. The śramaṇa disciples of the Śākya clan do not take what is not given—how could they possibly seize someone's belongings by force? Perhaps at most they may have received it through skillful means of teaching the Dharma."

Thus, a small number of people went to the Jetavana to pay homage to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, though knowing, still asked Ānanda: "Why have so few people come to the Jetavana today?"

Thereupon the Venerable Ānanda reported the entire matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha then ordered that Upananda be summoned. He was duly summoned. When he arrived, the Buddha asked Upananda: "Did this matter truly occur?"

He replied: "It truly did occur, Blessed One."

The Buddha said: "Bhikkhu, this is an evil deed. Why did the bhikkhu coercively ask for a robe from that person? Have you not constantly heard me praise few desires and censure excessive desire that knows no satisfaction? From this day forward, I do not permit bhikkhus to ask for robes from householders or householders' wives who are not relatives.

"Furthermore, when the Buddha was residing at the city of Śrāvastī—as described in detail above—at that time sixty bhikkhus from the northern region were traveling to Śrāvastī to pay homage to the Blessed One, but along the way they were waylaid by bandits who took their robes, so they had to enter the Jetavana Monastery naked to pay homage to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus then asked: "Who are you?"

They replied: "We are those who have gone forth."

The bhikkhus asked again: "Into which path have you gone forth?"

They replied: "We have gone forth in the lineage of the Śākyas."

Again they asked: "Where are your robes, that you are thus unclothed?"

They replied: "On the road, bandits took our robes."

Thereupon the bhikkhus gave each of them a robe—some received the saṃghāṭī, some the uttarāsaṅga, some the antarvāsa, some the nisīdana. Having dressed in the robes, they went to the place of the Buddha, bowed their heads in homage at the Buddha's feet, and stood to one side. The Buddha, though knowing, still asked the bhikkhus: "Venerable ones, from where have you come?"

They replied: "Blessed One, we have come from the northern region."

The Buddha further asked: "Were you able to endure the hardships? Was begging for alms untroubled? Was the journey not burdensome?"

They replied: "Blessed One, we were able to endure the hardships, begging for alms was untroubled, and the journey was not burdensome—but along the way we encountered bandits who took our robes, and we had to enter the Jetavana Monastery without clothing."

The Buddha then asked the bhikkhus: "Were there then no towns, villages, or settlements along the way?"

They replied: "There were."

The Buddha asked: "Why did you not ask for robes?"

The bhikkhus said to the Buddha: "Because we had heard that the Blessed One had established the rule that one may not ask for robes from those who are not relatives, and we had no relatives, nor did we have donors who would give. Therefore we did not dare ask for robes, and had no choice but to come here unclothed."

The Buddha then praised that virtue of upholding the precepts: "Well done, well done, bhikkhus! You are those who are compliant, who have gone forth in sincere faith—even when facing the loss of life, you would not transgress the precepts. From this day forward, I permit those who have lost their robes to ask for robes."

The Buddha then commanded all the bhikkhus residing at Śrāvastī to assemble together, and for the sake of ten benefits established the precept for the bhikkhus, so that even those who had already heard it should hear it again:

"If a bhikkhu asks for robes from householders or householders' wives who are not relatives, he commits a Niḥsargika Pāyantika offense—except in other circumstances. Other circumstances means: when one's robes have been lost."

Explanation

(Some of the terms above have already been explained.)

—Householder: One who is the master of a household.

—Robe: A kambala robe, a karpāsa robe, a kṣauma robe, a kauśeya robe, a śaṇa robe, a hemp robe, a kumuditā robe.

—Asking: Either asking oneself, or having another ask on one's behalf. Excepted is asking when one's robes have been lost—this incurs no offense.

—Other circumstances: The time when one's robes have been lost. There are ten instances of losing robes: either the king seizes them; or bandits take them; or they are destroyed by fire; or blown away by the wind; or carried off by water; or taken by a woman overcome with greed; or taken by parents or relatives who wish to cause one to renounce the training; or one has put them away and then forgotten where; or one has stored them and they have decayed; or they have been stored so long that they are deteriorated and no longer serviceable.

These are called the ten instances of losing robes. In such instances the Blessed One declares there is no offense.

—Niḥsargika Pāyantika: As explained above.

—Pāyantika: As explained above.

If a bhikkhu is to receive robes within a range of three yojanas, and at present has lost his saṅghāṭī but his uttarāsaṅga remains, he should not ask for robes. If he has lost both the saṅghāṭī and the uttarāsaṅga but his antaravāsaka remains, he should not ask for robes. If he has lost all three robes but still has a robe for covering sores, he should not ask.

If he has lost all three robes and the robe for covering sores but still has a rain-bathing cloth, he should not ask for robes. If a bhikkhu has lost all three robes, the robe for covering sores, and the rain-bathing cloth, but still has a bed-sheet, he should not ask for robes. If a bhikkhu has lost all three robes, the robe for covering sores, the rain-bathing cloth, and the bed-sheet, but still has a piece of cloth two cubits in length, he should also not ask for robes.

Why is this? Because a bhikkhu can wear an undergarment and travel within three yojanas to reclaim his former robes. If on the way there are dangers and he cannot travel there to reclaim them, then he may ask for a rain-covering cloth, and there is no offense.

If a bhikkhu asks for robes from one who is not a relative — whether asking personally, having another ask on his behalf, making signs to ask, or teaching the Dharma in order to ask —

— Asking personally: Going there in person to ask.

— Having another ask: Sending another person there to ask.

— Making signs to ask: Displaying signs of cold or of heat.

What are signs of cold? If a bhikkhu, on the eighth night in the middle of winter when snow is falling, wearing old robes, goes to the home of a donor and displays signs of being frozen with cold — at that moment the donor pays homage at the bhikkhu's feet and asks: "Venerable sir, do you not have a timely robe? Why are you shivering with cold like this?" The bhikkhu replies: "I do not. When your parents were alive, they regularly offered me timely robes; now that your parents have passed away, who will provide robes for me? Not only have your parents died, but my own parents have also passed away." The donor then says: "Venerable sir, please do not be resentful; I will provide a timely robe for you."

This is called displaying signs of cold in order to ask for robes. If robes are obtained in this way, it is an offense of Nissaggiya Pācittiya.

What is called displaying signs of heat? In the fifth or sixth month when the weather is hot, a bhikkhu wearing many-patched, heavy robes goes sweating to the home of a donor and displays signs of heat. At that moment the donor pays homage at the bhikkhu's feet and asks: "Venerable sir, do you not have a timely robe, that you wear such thick robes and sweat so?" The bhikkhu then replies: "I do not. When your parents were alive, they regularly provided me with timely robes; now that your parents have passed away, who will provide robes for me? Not only have your parents died, but my own parents are also gone." The donor then says: "Venerable sir, please do not be resentful; I will provide a timely robe for you."

This is called displaying signs of heat in order to ask for robes. If robes are obtained in this way, it is an offense of Nissaggiya Pācittiya.

— Teaching the Dharma in order to ask: A bhikkhu, wishing to ask for robes, recites the following verse to the donor:

This is called teaching the Dharma in order to ask. If robes are obtained in this way, it is an offense of Nissaggiya Pācittiya.

If one asks for a water-straining bag, or asks for a small piece of cloth to patch robes, or for a head-covering cloth, or cloth for binding sores, or cloth for making a cushion — if one asks for any one of these types of cloth, there is no offense. If one asks for these things and the donor gives a full piece of cloth, or cuts it into portions and the bhikkhu accepts it, there is no offense.

If a bhikkhu thinks: "I will only ask for small things, and the donor will give them to me of his own accord," and then receives an entire large piece of cloth, it is an offense of Nissaggiya Pācittiya.

If one asks on behalf of the preceptor or the ācārya, it is an offense of Dukkaṭa. If one asks on behalf of a stūpa or the Sangha, there is no offense. Therefore it is said:

"If a bhikkhu asks for robes from a householder or a householder's wife who is not a relative, it is an offense of Nissaggiya Pācittiya — except on a particular occasion. That particular occasion is when robes have been lost."

End of the sixth Nissaggiya rule.

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: THE TRIPIṬAKA MASTER BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA TOGETHER WITH THE ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

Doctrinal verification: Thích Đỗng Minh