Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 133Not Returning Period Cloth to Sangha
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not returning period cloth to Sangha
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THE DISCOURSE ON NOT RETURNING PERIOD CLOTH TO THE SANGHA
Background
This rule appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the basic code for bhikkhus. The event recorded occurred when the Buddha saw that some monks did not observe the rules concerning management of the Sangha’s property, especially cloth for making robes.
In the Buddha’s time, cloth was a valuable property and was distributed to monastics according to the needs of practice. Monastics received cloth from the Sangha on the condition that it be used within a prescribed time. However, some monks kept the cloth beyond the permitted period and did not return it to the Sangha according to the agreement. This caused disputes over ownership and harmed discipline within the monastic community.
The Buddha, with sublime wisdom, established this rule to protect the spirit of non-greed, preserve unity in the Sangha, and ensure that communal property was not appropriated by individuals for private purposes.
Main Content
This rule states: if a monk receives cloth distributed by the Sangha with a fixed period of use, but after that period ends he does not return the cloth to the Sangha, this is a Pācittiya (Pāc) offense, a type of fault requiring acknowledgment and penance.
The cloth period is usually counted from the time of receiving it until a certain duration, perhaps the end of the season or the end of the year. When that time has passed, the monastic must return the cloth to the Sangha, unless there is a legitimate reason, such as the cloth being damaged to the point of being unusable.
This applies not only to cloth but to any property distributed by the Sangha for a fixed period. Failure to observe this rule is regarded as an act of greed and insincerity in the monastic life of practice.
Practical Meaning
This rule reflects an important principle in Early Buddhism: communal property must be respected and managed with purity.
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