Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 83Not Returning Robes Ceremonially Offered During Ordination

Source Status

This entry is an AI interpretation based on the supplied descriptive information: the Vietnamese title "Not Returning Robes Ceremonially Offered During Ordination," the English title "Not Returning Robes Ceremonially Offered During Ordination," the Pali term in the data also recorded with the meaning "Not returning robes ceremonially offered during ordination," the item number "Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 83," belonging to the Chinese Comparative Vinaya in the Sectarian Canon tradition.

The truncated ending of the Vietnamese text suggests that the content was discussing robes offered during going forth or ordination, the solemn character of receiving robes, and the responsibility not to handle them casually as personal property. The source has not been directly compared in full text, so this is not a translation of an original scripture and does not confirm additional background, persons, ritual details, or Vinaya formula beyond the data.

Context

In the renunciant life, the robe is not merely a useful object. The robe is a sign of leaving behind worldly life, a symbol of the celibate life, and a daily reminder of responsibility before the Three Jewels and the community of practice. When a robe is offered or given in an ordination ceremony, its meaning goes beyond material value even more. It is connected with the witnessing of the assembly, the resolve of the one receiving ordination, and the trust between the person making the offering and the person receiving it.

The title "Not Returning Robes Ceremonially Offered During Ordination" shows that the issue is not merely keeping an object, but how one behaves toward an item placed in a ritual context. The truncated ending emphasizes that robes handed over in a solemn ceremony are the result of a decision to practice before the whole Sangha, and therefore their handling should also be public and formal, not merely a personal act. This is an interpretation that emphasizes the integrity of the ordination ceremony.

Caution is necessary: the data does not provide the full text, so it cannot be said precisely in what case a robe must be returned, to whom, at what time, or what conditions constitute an offense. What can be discussed is the principle: items connected with ordination should not be treated casually according to personal preference.

What Can Be Determined from the Descriptive Information

From the descriptive information, it can be determined that the main theme is not returning robes that were offered or given in an ordination rite. The item number Pc 83 indicates that this belongs to the Pācittiya group in the stated system, but there is not enough data to determine the specific Vinaya procedure. The English title emphasizes the "ceremonially offered" character, that is, robes placed within a ritual framework, not simply ordinary robes.

The ending passage indicates that the earlier interpretation understood this rule as protecting the integrity of the going-forth ceremony. Robes in the ceremony do not belong to the recipient merely in the sense of personal possession, but are connected to a commitment to practice that has been publicly made. Therefore, handling the robes needs to accord with the spirit of responsibility, transparency, and respect for the community. If the recipient treats those robes as private objects to keep, discard, exchange, or fail to return when needed at will, then the solemn meaning of the ceremony is diminished.

The ending passage also says that this teaches monks to remember their commitment and not to take lightly sacred forms that have been established. The phrase "established by the Buddha" appears in the ending passage, but because the source has not been compared, here only the general idea is retained: the Vinaya tradition sees ritual forms not as empty shells, but as means that support the aspiration for renunciation.

Meaning for Practice

The meaning for practice in this item is responsibility toward what one has received in the Dharma. When a person receives robes in the context of ordination, that person does not receive only cloth; they receive a sign of a new life. From then on, keeping, using, and returning them if necessary should all reflect gratitude and integrity. A practitioner should not let the mind of personal ownership obscure the meaning of an item offered in faith.

Going forth, according to the spirit of the ending passage, is not an impulsive act that can be casually undone. Although the life of practice has many challenges, a commitment before the Three Jewels and the assembly needs to be treated with respect. If for some reason a matter connected with the robes must be resolved, the proper spirit is clarity, openness, and responsibility, rather than quietly keeping them or handling them according to one's own preference.

For laypeople, this lesson extends to everything received in spiritual life. A scripture, a ritual implement, a promise to support the Dharma, a responsibility in a practice community, or an item entrusted because of faith should not be treated as casual property. When one receives something in faith, one has a duty to respond with transparency. When the conditions to continue are no longer sufficient, one should also conclude the matter with uprightness.

This item also reminds us of the difference between form and form that has content. Some rituals become empty when participants lack sincerity. But that is no reason to take ritual lightly. In the tradition of practice, forms that accord with the Dharma support the minds of students, help the community have order, and make commitments clear. To respect the robe in an ordination ceremony is to respect the very vow to live the celibate life.

Comparative Notes

There has been no direct comparison with the full source text from this data. The observations are based only on Vietnamese title, English title, Pali title as recorded, tradition, collection, item number, and the truncated ending of the Vietnamese text. No translator names, comparison websites, canonical location, specific Chinese recension, persons, narrative background, or procedure for returning robes are independently stated. When full-text checking becomes possible, the exact meaning of "robes ceremonially offered during ordination," the person to whom they must be returned, the conditions that give rise to an offense, and how the Vinaya text distinguishes personal items from items connected with the rite of going forth should be compared.