San Mu Bu Pm GBM 3 Np 13A New Blanket Should Have Mixed Colors

Explanation of the Dvebhāga Sutta

A New Robe Must Have Two Colors

Background

The Dvebhāga Sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, especially in the Pātimokkha, the code of rules, within the fivefold Pāli collection, in the branch concerning rules on robe stores (Cīvara-khandhaka). This is part of the sacred discipline established by Śākyamuni Buddha for the community of monks and nuns in order to maintain moral discipline and harmony in the monastery.

This discourse was recorded in the context of early Buddhist monks often receiving gifts from laypeople, including robes (stores, cīvara). However, in order to avoid pride, display, and entanglement in material things, the Buddha laid down detailed rules on how the robes that bhikkhus used were to be handled and made. The rule concerning "two colors" (dvebhāga) is one concrete expression of this principle of modesty and practicality.

Main Content

According to the Dvebhāga rule, when a monk receives a new robe from a layperson, it must be treated in a special way. The discourse prescribes that this new robe must not be kept intact in its freshness and sharp appearance. Instead, the robe must be "mixed" by dyeing it in two different colors, usually earth, brown, or gray tones, colors regarded as simple and not attention-seeking.

Specifically, the robe is divided into two parts (dvebhāga, meaning "two parts"), each part dyed in a different color. This ensures that the robe does not become a luxurious or ostentatious object. This rule applies not only to gifts from laypeople but also reflects a profound ethical principle: deliberately withdrawing from material desires and presenting a modest appearance.

This alteration also has legal meaning within the Sangha community: it allows a clear distinction between communal robes, valid according to the Vinaya, and the private robes of bhikkhus.