Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 133Not Returning Period Cloth to Sangha

Not Returning Period Cloth to the Sangha

Comparative Vinaya — Chinese | Number: Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 133
AI Exposition — Inti Dharma

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Source Status

This scripture entry belongs to the collection of the Chinese Comparative Vinaya, marked Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 133, within the tradition of Sectarian Buddhist Texts — Comparative. At present, the original full Chinese source text of this provision has not been accessed and directly collated within the scope of composing this exposition. Therefore, what is presented below is not a translation of the original scripture, but an exposition based on the supplied descriptive information, combined with general understanding of the structure and content of the Vinaya of the Buddhist schools. Readers should consult the original Chinese text or verified scholarly translations to confirm the specific details.

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Background

This provision belongs to the group of Pācittiya rules, that is, provisions of the simple confession category, in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga) of the Sarvāstivāda tradition, preserved through the Chinese version. The marker “Sarv Bi Vb Pc” identifies it clearly: Sarv means Sarvāstivāda, Bi means Bhikkhunī, Vb means Vibhaṅga, the explanation of the rule, and Pc means Pācittiya.

The Sarvāstivāda was one of the influential Buddhist schools, developing strongly in Central Asia and North India. The Vinaya of this school has been preserved mainly through Chinese translation and is one of the important sources for the comparative history of Buddhist legal studies. The section of rules for bhikkhunīs (Bhikkhunī) often contains a larger number of rules and regulates matters more carefully than the rules for bhikkhus, reflecting the particular living circumstances of the bhikkhunī community within the Sangha.

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Content Identifiable From the Descriptive Information

The title of this provision — “Not Returning Period Cloth to the Sangha” — suggests a specific regulation concerning an item issued by the Sangha to bhikkhunīs for hygiene during the menstrual cycle.

In the context of Buddhist Vinaya studies, “period cloth” is a cloth that the Sangha may permit bhikkhunīs to use during particular physiological periods. This is an item under the management of the Sangha, given to an individual for use for a certain period of time. After use, the recipient has the duty to return it to the Sangha according to the prescribed method.

This Pācittiya provision number 133 may be understood as aimed at the act of not returning that cloth to the Sangha after use, whether by deliberately keeping it or through negligence in failing to return it on time. Violation of this provision would lead to the obligation to confess (pācittiya) before the Sangha. This is not a very grave offense, but it still must be formally cleared in order to maintain the purity of the body of precepts.

Because the full source text has not been available for comparison, details such as the conditions determining an offense, exceptions, confession procedure, or the specific elements constituting the fault cannot be presented precisely here.

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Meaning for Practice

This provision, though small and concerned with a concrete matter of daily life, contains important principles of training:

First, the spirit of non-possession. Buddhist discipline is founded on the principle that one gone forth does not accumulate material goods beyond the permitted scope. Items belonging to the Sangha must be returned properly and not kept privately for any reason. Keeping an item of the Sangha, even a small one, shows negligence in the practice of relinquishment.

Second, awareness of communal property. Period cloth is not personal property but property of the collective Sangha. Respecting and protecting common property reflects responsibility toward the assembly and contributes to building a harmonious and pure Sangha.

Third, discipline in every detail of life. The Buddhist Vinaya does not distinguish great and small matters when addressing the conduct of one gone forth. Each provision, even one concerning the most ordinary articles, is an opportunity for the practitioner to train mindfulness, clear awareness, and responsibility in every action.

Fourth, respect for the procedures of the Sangha. Returning the item on time expresses respect for the operating mechanism of the Sangha, as well as reverence for the discipline established by the Buddha for the bhikkhunī community.

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Comparative Note

Because the full Chinese source text of this provision has not been directly collated, all specific details in the exposition above are general and based on reasonable inference from the common structure of the Vinaya of the Buddhist schools. Researchers and practitioners who wish to understand the exact content of the provision should consult the corresponding original Chinese text in the Chinese Tripiṭaka, and may also compare it with equivalent provisions in the Vinayas of other schools in order to gain a more comprehensive view of the historical formation and meaning of this rule in the context of sectarian Buddhism.