Lzh Sarv Bu Vb Pc 87Rainy-Season Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vassikasāṭikā
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Discourse on Rainy-Season Robes (Vassikasāṭikā)
Background
The Discourse on Rainy-Season Robes (Vassikasāṭikā) is found in the Pācittiya training rules of the Vinaya Piṭaka. It reflects regulations relating to the property and clothing of bhikkhus in the early Buddhist Sangha. The rainy season (vassa) is the three-month period from the fifth to the seventh lunar month, when bhikkhus commonly remain in one place for deeper practice and to avoid trampling insects during the rains.
The rules concerning rainy-season robes (vassikasāṭikā) were established in Buddhism to protect shared property, maintain fairness in the Sangha, and educate bhikkhus in non-greed, fewness of wishes (appicchā), and contentment (santuṭṭhī). These regulations also reflect the teaching’s practical wisdom in using material things to support practice.
Main Content
According to the Pācittiya rule relating to vassikasāṭikā, when bhikkhus receive rainy-season robes from the Sangha or from faithful donors, they must observe specific conditions. The discourse states that if a bhikkhu has received a rainy-season robe under established conditions, such as having to keep the robe for a certain period or not arbitrarily transferring or giving it away to someone else, and later violates those conditions without a legitimate reason, he commits a Pācittiya, a fault to be confessed.
Specifically, the rule does not allow bhikkhus arbitrarily to discard or give rainy-season robes to others, except with the permission of the Sangha or in special situations, such as illness or replacing a robe for someone else in need. This ensures that material requisites are used properly, without waste, and maintains the principle of common management within the Sangha.
Practical Meaning
The rule concerning rainy-season robes is not merely an administrative provision, but also carries deep ethical and practical significance.
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