Upp Np 27Haste-Cloth

Exposition of the Accekacīvara Sutta (Haste-Cloth)

Context

The Accekacīvara Sutta is found in the Nissaggiya Pācittiya section of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the highest body of regulations for the Bhikkhunī Sangha in the early tradition. “Acceka” means “hurried, urgent,” and “cīvara” is the monastic under-robe. This discourse regulates the making and use of a hastily made robe, a kind of robe made in an emergency situation.

The background of this discourse is connected with events in the monastic community during the Buddha’s time. While the Tathāgata was still in the world, bhikkhus sometimes encountered urgent situations requiring a robe to be made quickly, such as when a robe was badly torn, or when they had to travel suddenly and had no time to sew carefully according to the proper method. On that occasion, the Buddha established a rule so that monastics could respond to urgent situations while avoiding abuse and violation of the spirit of the discipline.

Main Content

The discourse states that a bhikkhu is permitted to make a haste-cloth robe (accekacīvara) in necessary urgent circumstances without having to follow all the detailed preparatory and permission steps required for ordinary robes. However, this does not mean arbitrariness. The Vinaya still sets conditions:

First, the bhikkhu must truly be in an urgent situation, such as having a high fever and no suitable robe, or preparing to depart on a long journey when the robe is unexpectedly damaged.

Second, he must inform the other bhikkhus in the Sangha or those managing the monastery’s property about the purpose and necessary circumstances.

Third, this hastily made robe is only temporarily lawful until another suitable robe is made. After that, the bhikkhu must stop using it or modify it according to the proper form.

The Vinaya forbids bhikkhus from using the accekacīvara robe as a regular rule or as a way to avoid the proper care of robes and lodging.