Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 140Having Someone Else Wash Clothes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Having someone else wash clothes
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
SCRIPTURE ON HAVING SOMEONE ELSE WASH CLOTHING
Background
This scripture is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the collection of rules of practice established by the Buddha Gotama for the Sangha of monks and nuns. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not a set of harsh commands, but principles that help the Sangha practice in purity, concentrate the mind, and reduce disputes within the Buddhist community.
This scripture concerns a practical matter in monastic life: how to handle the washing of robes. It appears that in the Buddha’s time, monastics either had to wash their own robes or ask others to do this work. The regulations concerning this matter were not accidental; they helped monastics maintain simplicity, mindfulness, and avoid excessive attachment to worldly habits.
The historical formation of this scripture is connected with the Buddha’s observation of specific situations occurring in the Sangha, after which he gave appropriate guidance. This expresses the practical and compassionate nature of the Buddha toward his disciples.
Main Content
In that context, the scripture regulates the act of asking others to wash robes. Specifically, if a monastic gives robes to someone outside Buddhism or even to a layperson to wash, certain rules must be followed. The important thing is to have clear intention (cetanā), meaning that the one giving the task must not do so out of laziness or a careless mind.
The scripture also indicates that giving robes to another to wash is not in itself wrong, but must be done wisely. A monastic should not overuse or become overly dependent on asking others, because this may lead to deviations from the life of practice. At the same time, one must consider whether the person entrusted with the task is reliable, and whether the act is appropriate to the vocation of a monastic.
This regulation is also related to the concept of the “three robes” (ticīvara) that each monastic should possess. Robes are one of the five necessities for monastics, along with lodging, food, medicine, and water.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.