San Lo Bu Pm Pc 28Giving Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvaradāna
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The Discourse on Providing Robes - Cīvaradāna
Background
The Discourse on Providing Robes is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the disciplinary component of the Theravāda Buddhist Tipiṭaka. Specifically, this discourse appears in the Pātimokkha, the Basic Code, as Pācittiya 28, a minor penalty for bhikkhus.
The circumstances of the discourse are rooted in situations that arose in the monastic community in the early Buddhist era. The Buddha and his disciples encountered cases concerning the manner of providing robes (cīvara), necessary requisites for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. Robes are not merely ordinary clothing, but a symbol of renunciation and lawful property regulated by the discipline of the Sangha.
The Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled after the Buddha’s nirvana in order to protect the purity of the monastic community and maintain the highest ethical standards. Each rule was established based on specific events, reflecting the Buddha’s wisdom in regulating the monastic path according to circumstances and practical needs.
Main Content
The Discourse on Providing Robes regulates the way in which a bhikkhu is permitted to receive robes from others. According to the rule, a bhikkhu should not actively request or suggest the specific way in which the donor should provide them. If that bhikkhu commits a fault, for example by saying to the donor, "Provide robes in this way, with this kind of cloth, this color," he commits a Pācittiya offense.
This rule emphasizes that receiving robes should be based on the voluntary compassion of the giver, not on the demand or ill-intentioned request of the recipient. A bhikkhu should maintain an attitude of gratitude, without rivalry and without partiality in dealing with lay supporters. The types of robes that may be received include the upper robe (uttarāsaṅga), the outer robe (saṅghāṭī), and the lower robe (antarvāsaka).
This regulation protects purity and simplicity, preventing bhikkhus from becoming dependent upon donors or creating conflict within the community.
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