Lzh Mu Bu Pm Pc 90Robe Size

Explanation of the Sugatacīvara Sutta (On Robe Size)

Background

The Sugatacīvara Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Pātimokkha Sikkhamānā section, training rules for women in probationary training. This is among the most detailed parts of Theravāda Buddhist law, where the Buddha established regulations on dress, conduct, and daily life for monastic institutions.

This discourse arose from a specific event in the Sangha community. When female monastics began to participate in the Teaching, the issue of robes became necessary to regulate. Robes are not only a practical matter but also a symbol of purity, humility, and focus on the Dharma without attention to sense conditions. The Buddha guided female practitioners to maintain pure conduct through specific regulations on the size of robes.

Main Content

The Sugatacīvara Sutta states that the robes of female monastics must have appropriate dimensions, neither too loose nor too tight. This regulation arises from legitimate reasons: avoiding unnecessary attention from outsiders (pāripanthaka), protecting the concentration of the bhikkhunī herself, and preserving the discipline of the Sikkhamānā Pātimokkha.

Specifically, robes should not expose the breasts or the body in ways that cause the person to be regarded as outside the Sangha’s law or as losing purity. The purpose is for robes to serve their practical function, covering and keeping warm, without producing attractiveness or creating opportunities to violate the sixth rule in the Pātimokkha concerning sexuality.

The regulations on size are also connected with the concept “Sugatacīvara,” meaning “the robe of the Tathagata” (Sugata = Tathagata). This indicates that the manner of dress of bhikkhunīs must accord with the noble ethics established by the Buddha, namely spiritual purity and humility in conduct.