Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Np 21Out-of-Season Robe Cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:Akālacīvara
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The Discourse on Out-of-Season Robe Cloth (Akālacīvara)
Background
The Akālacīvara discourse (Out-of-Season Robe Cloth) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Nisaggiya Pācittiya section, the offenses involving forfeiture and confession, where detailed regulations on the property of monks and nuns are preserved. This discourse reflects the historical context in which the Buddha and his disciples lived and practiced, establishing binding principles to maintain discipline, protect the honor of the Sangha, and prevent greedy or dishonest actions.
In the Theravāda tradition, robe cloth (cīvara) is not merely practical clothing, but also a symbol of the humility and submission of one gone forth. The concept “out of season” (akāla) refers to times inappropriate for making or using robe cloth, often related to periods specially regulated by the Sangha.
Main Content
The discourse stipulates that if a bhikkhu makes or uses robe cloth at times inappropriate according to the Sangha calendar, outside the season prescribed by the Sangha, this constitutes a Nisaggiya Pācittiya offense, an offense requiring confession and requiring that the item be returned to the Sangha before the penance is reported.
This regulation is not an absolute prohibition against having robes to wear, but an instruction so that bhikkhus do not become heedless in possessing material things. When robe cloth is made in the prescribed season, it is considered “lawful” (kālacīvara). This encourages communal management among bhikkhus rather than disorganized individual action.
Offenses related to out-of-season robe cloth belong to the monastic legal system for nurturing a state of mind free from greed (lobha), free from envy (issa), and restrained from competition over property. These rules also help distinguish clearly between essential needs and excessive desires.
Practical Meaning
For those practicing Theravāda today, Akālacīvara is not only an ancient law, but also a lesson in carefulness and clarity in the use of material goods.
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