Lzh Mi Bi Vb Np 20Out-of-Season Robe Cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:Akālacīvara
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SUTTA ON OUT-OF-SEASON ROBE CLOTH
Background
The Sutta on Out-of-Season Robe Cloth (Akālacīvara) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, the normative body of texts governing the monastic life of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in the Theravāda tradition. This sutta arose from a specific situation at Sāvatthi, where the Buddha, the Blessed One, often resided and established rules whenever the monastic community encountered practical issues in the life of practice.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of mechanical rules, but an expression of the Buddha’s insight and compassion. Every rule was established for a reason—often to protect the health, unity, and honor of the Sangha, as well as to preserve the faith of lay followers. The Akālacīvara sutta belongs to the group of regulations concerning clothing, an important element in monastic practice.
Main Content
This sutta concerns the management of communal robe cloth (saṅghacīvara) and the rules regarding the proper time for using it. In the Theravāda tradition, bhikkhus are permitted to possess at most three robes, and the monastic community also maintains common property. Out-of-season robe cloth (akālacīvara) refers to robes provided or used at a time not appropriate to their convention or purpose.
This sutta defines the restrictions and conditions related to receiving, keeping, and using such robe cloth. These rules include situations in which a bhikkhu may receive communal robe cloth, limits on the period of possession, and the responsibilities of both individuals and the Sangha in preserving common property. The fundamental purpose is to prevent unauthorized possession, greed, or the misuse of property intended for the monastic community.
These rules reflect the principle of non-taking (ādinnādāna) and respect for the community—one of the pillars of monastic discipline. They remind us that every item, however small, is connected with integrity and the attitude of practice of each individual.
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