Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 143Not Returning Period Cloth to Sangha
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not returning period cloth to Sangha
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Scripture Commentary: Not Returning the Period Cloth to the Sangha
Background
This content is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, where the rules of practice and discipline of the Buddhist Sangha are preserved. Specifically, this is a prohibition (Pācittiya) in the Bhikkhunī code, the rules for female monastics. The background arose from historical events during the Buddha’s lifetime, when female monastics needed guidance in how to use the common property of the Sangha in a righteous way.
Cloth (cīvara) is one of the four essential requisites of bhikkhus and novices, called the four supports (catur-nissaya): clothing, food, lodging, and medicine. In Theravāda Buddhism, cloth is used chiefly to make the robe (kasāya), the sacred garment of those who have gone forth. Therefore, the management of cloth is not only a financial matter, but also a matter concerning spiritual cleanliness and ethical responsibility.
Main Content
This prohibition states that if a female monastic is allocated by the Sangha a cloth for use within a particular period, she has the duty to return that cloth to the Sangha when the period ends. If she does not return it within the prescribed time, this is a Pācittiya violation, a shameful act (dukkaṭa) requiring confession to the community.
The reason for this rule is to ensure fairness in the distribution of common property. The cloth is not personal property but property of the whole Sangha, even if entrusted temporarily to an individual for use. Keeping the cloth too long may cause it to be damaged or deprive others of the opportunity to use it. Moreover, this is also a test of the practitioner’s mind: whether she is greedy, and whether she values the common welfare.
The Vinaya Piṭaka records that there are exceptional situations, such as illness, difficulty in travel, or other unavoidable circumstances. However, such cases must be reported to the Sangha or to those managing the property, rather than keeping the cloth arbitrarily without a legitimate reason.
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