San Lo Bu Pm Np 25Rainy-Season Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vassikasāṭika
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The Scripture on Vassa Robes (Vassikasāṭika)
Background
The scripture on Vassa Robes belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition and is found in the section on the regulations for bhikkhunīs (Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga). It is one of the detailed rules concerning the annual practice life of bhikkhunīs, related to the rainy-season residence (Vassa), the three-month period of rain when bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must remain in one fixed place for practice and not wander about.
The vassa season (Pāli: vassu, meaning "rain") begins on the full moon of the seventh lunar month according to the Southeast Asian Buddhist tradition and lasts three months until the rainy season ends. During this time, bhikkhunīs receive a vassa robe, a special robe reserved for the rainy-season residence. This rule reflects the Buddha's careful concern for the bhikkhunī community, ensuring that they have clothing suitable for cold and rainy weather.
Main Content
The Vassikasāṭika scripture lays down detailed rules concerning the kind of vassa robe that a bhikkhunī is permitted to possess and use. According to the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, each bhikkhunī is given a set of vassa robes with specific area and material, appropriate to the rainy and cold climate and to the needs of practice.
The main content of the scripture concerns determining the limit on the number of vassa robes a bhikkhunī may possess. This is not a prohibition but practical guidance helping them avoid excessive accumulation and preserve the spirit of simplicity, one of the basic virtues of the Sangha. The specific regulations include the conditions for receiving a new robe, how to care for it, and special cases in which the robe is damaged or lost.
The scripture also emphasizes that the provision of vassa robes is a responsibility of the bhikkhunī community, usually carried out through a formal ceremony at the beginning of the vassa season. This is an expression of mutual support in the Sangha, where bhikkhunīs who are able willingly provide robes for others.
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