Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Np 6Requesting Fine Robes From a Robe Fund
Pāli / Sanskrit:Upakkhata
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Sutra on Requesting Fine Robes from a Robe Fund (Upakkhata)
Background
The Upakkhata Sutra is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pāṭimokkha Nuns' Rules, the regulations governing the monastic life of nuns in the early Buddhist community. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of prohibitions, but also a historical document reflecting specific situations that occurred in the monastic community during the Buddha's time.
The sutra title "Upakkhata" (from upa + khata) means things asked for or requested in addition, referring to nuns requesting finer robe cloth from the common fund designated for clothing. This was an issue of communal property management and monastic discipline that the Buddha had to address in order to maintain fairness, freedom from greed, and the spirit of gradual liberation among the disciples.
Main Content
In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the issue arose when certain nuns used the common robe fund to request robe cloth of higher quality and greater beauty than was necessary for the simple monastic life. This action violated the basic Buddhist principle of restraint (indriya-samvara) and encouraged material greed.
When the situation was reported to the Buddha, he set forth specific regulations in the Pāṭimokkha. Nuns are not permitted to request robe cloth from the common fund for the purpose of ornamentation or satisfying personal preferences about outward appearance. Robes supplied from the communal fund are intended only to cover the body, protect health, and maintain the standards of practice.
This rule also reflects the principle of "digha-ratana" (wisdom in use), one of the important virtues in the Dharma. It especially emphasizes that, in monastic life, communal property must be used fairly and in accordance with the spirit of generosity (dāna), not to satisfy personal desires for luxury.
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