Lzh Mu Bi Pm Sk 17Lifted Robe
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ukkhittaka
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The Lifted Robe Sutta (Ukkhittaka)
Background
The Lifted Robe Sutta (Ukkhittaka) is a part of the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka contains regulations on monks and nuns living within the monastic community. This text concerns a specific situation in the life of practice — the matter of how bhikkhunīs wear their robes.
The context in which this text appears reflects the practical challenges faced by early Buddhism: how to maintain discipline and purity of conduct when monastics lived in a society with strict rules concerning gender. Keeping the robe properly arranged was not merely a matter of clothing, but an expression of self-control, discipline, and respect for the rules of the community.
Main Content
This text records a regulation concerning the clothing of female monastics. According to the Vinaya Piṭaka tradition, the way monastics dress is clearly regulated in order to avoid behavior or appearances that might lead to mental distraction or cause misunderstandings among those outside the monastic community.
“Ukkhittaka” (lifted robe) refers to a situation in which the robe is lifted or opened improperly, revealing too much of the body. In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this is not a matter of aesthetics or bodily beauty, but a matter of restraint (vinaya), the enduring capacity to control the senses and the mind.
This regulation is built upon a basic principle of the Vinaya Piṭaka: monastics must avoid actions that could harm the reputation of Buddhism or stir up impure thoughts in others. Keeping the robe properly arranged is part of sila (ethical conduct), expressing respect for the community and the rule of Dharma.
Practical Meaning
The Ukkhittaka Sutta teaches us that discipline is not an unreasonable imposition, but the foundation of purity of mind.
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