Lzh Mu Bi Vb Np 23Out-of-Season Robe Cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:Akālacīvara
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Akālacīvara Sutta – Out-of-Season Robe Cloth
Background
The Akālacīvara text is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Nuns’ Patimokkha (Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha), the code of disciplinary rules for bhikkhunīs. It is one of the detailed disciplinary texts concerning the life of practice in the Early Buddhist Saṅgha.
Robe-cloth (cīvara) is one of the most necessary items for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. According to the Theravāda tradition, each bhikkhu may possess three monastic robes: the lower robe (antaravāsaka), the upper robe (uttarāsaṅga), and the outer robe (saṅghāṭī). The matter of "season" (kāla) and "out of season" (akāla) concerns the time for distributing robe-cloth.
In the Theravāda Buddhist monastic calendar, the year is divided into three periods: the hot season (vassāna), the cold season, and the spring. The rainy season (vassāna) is the traditional time for distributing robe-cloth to the community of bhikkhus. The Akālacīvara text clearly defines the act of receiving or using robe-cloth outside this prescribed period as a violation of the rule.
Main Content
The Akālacīvara text prescribes that when bhikkhunīs receive cloth for making robes outside the official distribution season (akāle cīvaraṃ patigaṇhittha), this constitutes a violation of the rule (dukkaṭa, a blameworthy fault). Specifically, this rule applies to the act of receiving, keeping, or using robe-cloth outside the permitted time.
The purpose of this rule is for bhikkhunīs to maintain simplicity, avoid storing up too much property, and preserve the spirit of non-attachment to things. Firmly observing these seemingly small regulations prevents monastics from falling into the habit of accumulation and possession.
The text also states clear exceptions, cases in which receiving cloth in another season may be permitted, such as when there is an official decision of the Saṅgha (saṅghi) or in special circumstances accepted by the Buddha-Dharma. However, these exceptions must also follow the strict conditions established by the Buddha and the elders.
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