San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Np 13A New Blanket Should Have Mixed Colors

Explanation of the Dvebhāga Sutta

A New Cloak Should Have Two Colors

Background

This text is recorded in the Vinaya Pitaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha section of the Theravada tradition. The Vinaya Pitaka is not a collection of sermons on doctrine, but regulations for living, dressing, and training, intended to nurture purity, inner discipline, and humility among monks and nuns.

The Dvebhāga Sutta (Two Colors) concerns regulations on how the robes of monastics should be woven, dyed, and used. The background is that Buddha Shakyamuni observed some monastics using robes with overly bright colors, causing display, obstructing their mental cultivation, and contradicting the humble spirit of the Sangha. Therefore, the Buddha gave guidance that robes should be dyed in two colors or made in a specific way to avoid openings for the mind, the eye, and habit.

Main Content

The principle of “Dvebhāga” (Two Colors) stipulates that when the robe of a monastic is newly woven, it should be dyed with two kinds of color or two kinds of material so as to create an appearance that is not too dazzling and does not stimulate the senses. This reflects the philosophy of the Buddha Dharma: simplicity and non-display are characteristics of one practicing the Buddha Dharma.

This text is not only a regulation about the color of robes, but also symbolizes the principle of the “Middle Way” (Majjhima Patipada) taught by the Buddha. Monastics should not pursue outward beauty, nor fall into the world of greed and ostentation. Every detail in the Vinaya Pitaka, even something as small as dyeing a robe, has the purpose of educating the mind.

This is also related to the concept of “Pārisuddhisīla” (the purity of virtue). Purity is not only in action and speech, but also in the way one thinks and chooses external things. The two-colored robe is a symbol of balance, self-restraint, and clarity in each daily decision.