Lzh Sarv Bu Vb Np 28Rainy-Season Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vassikasāṭika
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The Discourse on the Rainy-Season Robe (Vassikasāṭika)
Context
The Discourse on the Rainy-Season Robe belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the section of Pāṭimokkha Nuns' Rules—the rules of moral discipline for female monastics (Bhikkhunī) within the Buddhist Sangha. The context in which this discourse appears is that of the Buddha and his disciples dwelling in secluded retreats during the Vassa, the three-month rainy season following the Indian lunar calendar (roughly equivalent to July through September), during which Buddhist monastics gather at a single location to practice and cultivate communal discipline.
The purpose of this rule is to protect the Four Noble Teachings (the Buddha's Dharma) and to maintain the purity of the Sangha through specific regulations concerning the use of property, in particular monastic robes serving the practical needs of life in the damp climate of the rainy season.
Main Content
The regulation concerning the Vassikasāṭika (rainy-season robe) stipulates the manner in which female monastics are permitted to receive, use, and manage cloth intended for rain-protective garments or protective clothing during the rainy season. This discourse prohibits certain acts that female monastics are not permitted to perform in relation to the accumulation, concealment, or solicitation of special privileges beyond what is prescribed for other monastics.
Specifically, this rule requires female monastics to observe the principle of mendicant economy (not possessing beyond what is necessary), to share fairly with the monastic community, and not to arrange on their own initiative to receive private gifts from a donor (dāyaka) without informing the other members of the monastic group. Offenses related to the rainy-season robe are classified into different levels of severity, ranging from minor offenses (dukkaṭa) to grave offenses (pārājika or saṅghādisesa), depending on the degree of intent and the actions of the offender.
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