Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 137Giving Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvaradāna
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THE DISCOURSE ON GIVING ROBES (CĪVARADĀNA)
Background
The Discourse on Giving Robes is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the section of Dharma rules belonging to the Sarvāstivādin monastic code. These are established rules concerning the use and giving of robes among monastics in the Sangha.
In the Early Buddhist tradition, robes (cīvara) are not merely ordinary daily objects, but a special element in monastic discipline. The Buddha established specific regulations about how robes are used, dyed, made, and given, in order to avoid sensual desire, arrogance, or mistaken accumulation of merit. The giving of robes raises ethical questions: What is the giver’s intention? Does the recipient use them for the proper purpose? These matters reflect the cultivation and inner purity of the four assemblies.
Main Content
This discourse deals with situations concerning the giving of robes among bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, and laypeople. The Vinaya Piṭaka records that laypeople gain great merit in providing robes for the Sangha, because robes are considered one of the four necessities (catunissaya) of monastics.
However, the Buddha also clearly distinguishes between true compassion and craving in giving. If a layperson gives robes with the desire to be praised, loved, or to accumulate limitless merit, that intention is not entirely pure. Conversely, if one gives with a pure mind, expecting no return, solely out of compassion for others and in support of Dharma practice, that is the finest giving.
On the recipient’s side, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must also be careful not to let the mind take excessive pleasure in the quality, color, or comfort of robes. If one becomes attached to robes, reverence will be obscured. Therefore, the rule states that when receiving robes from laypeople or from the Sangha, one should keep the mind peaceful and should not manipulate or create difficulty for the donor.
Practical Meaning
The Discourse on Giving Robes teaches us a profound lesson about how to balance compassion with inner discipline.
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