San Lo Bi Vb Np 8Requesting Fine Robes From a Robe Fund
Pāli / Sanskrit:Upakkhata
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The Upakkhata Sutta: Requesting Fine Robes From a Robe Fund
Background
The Upakkhata Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, within the section on Nissaggiya Pācittiya (Offenses of Forfeiture and Confession) — detailed regulations governing the use of communal property belonging to the Saṅgha, the community of monks. This portion of the Vinaya Piṭaka records events from the period in which the Buddha and the Saṅgha established the rules of monastic training, in order to protect the purity of the Order and to nurture the spiritual development of those who have gone forth.
The term "Upakkhata" means "to request, to solicit," referring to an act — whether communal or individual — involving the use of shared requisites, particularly robes (cīvara), which constitute one of the three basic requisites of a monk (the three supports: robes, bowl, and dwelling).
Main Content
This sutta establishes the rule that when a monk wishes to request fine robes from the communal robe fund of the Saṅgha — that is, funds donated for the purpose of purchasing robes for the community — he may not directly solicit or specify the type of robe he desires. Instead, he must report the matter to the witnessing elders or to the keeper of the fund, so that the Saṅgha may deliberate and distribute the robes in an appropriate manner.
If a monk, out of desire or conceit, directly requests or attempts to obtain the finest and most costly robes for himself without going through the Saṅgha's process of witness and equitable distribution, such an act is regarded as a Pācittiya offense (a light offense requiring confession). This is not a grave offense in the manner of a Pārājika or Saṅghādisesa, yet it reflects a lack of mental discipline and a carelessness in the handling of communal property.
This rule was established because the use of the Saṅgha's communal property outside of proper procedure constitutes an unjust act, one that breeds division within the community and reflects a mind arising from greed, conceit, and the elevation of personal need above the common good. It stands as a lesson in the governance of one's mental states and in the respectful regard for the collective.
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