Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Np 3Out-of-Season Robe Cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:Akālacīvara
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Sutra on Out-of-Season Robe Cloth (Akālacīvara)
Background
The Sutra on Out-of-Season Robe Cloth belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically the Nisaggiya Pācittiya section (offenses requiring the recovery or relinquishment of the lost object). These are detailed regulations on how monks are to conduct themselves in owning and using the requisites of practice, especially personal property.
The context in which this rule arose came from specific events in the early Sangha community. The Buddha observed deviations in the way monks accumulated cloth for making robes, failing to observe the prescribed times. This could lead to greed, unnecessary hoarding, and violation of the spirit of austerity toward which the Dharma is directed. Therefore, the Buddha established specific rules concerning the times during which cloth for making robes may be possessed.
Main Content
The rule concerning out-of-season robe cloth (akālacīvara) stipulates that a monk is not permitted to accumulate cloth for making robes outside the permitted times. Specifically, the permitted time for possessing cloth is determined according to the rainy season (vassa) and other periods in the monastic year.
If a monk possesses cloth outside the permitted season, he must find a way to dispose of it within ten days. If he still keeps the cloth after this deadline, he commits a Nisaggiya Pācittiya offense, that is, he must give up the offending object (return it to the community or the donor) and confess this fault before his brothers in the Sangha.
This rule does not forbid monks to possess robes, but only limits the time for accumulating raw cloth. Its purpose is to keep monks from falling into greed, excessive hoarding of material goods, and to maintain the spirit of service, non-greed, and freedom from envy.
Practical Meaning
The Sutra on Out-of-Season Robe Cloth reflects a deep principle of Theravāda Buddhism: the balance between reasonable care for material needs and avoiding falling into greed. A robe is an essential need, but the manner of owning and accumulating it reflects the mind of a practitioner.
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