San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Pc 27Giving Robes

Source Status

This item can currently be interpreted only on the basis of the descriptive information provided: the Vietnamese title is “Giving Robes,” the English title is “Giving Robes,” the Pāli title is “Cīvaradāna,” it belongs to the Sanskrit Comparative Vinaya group, and bears the code San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Pc 27. The truncated ending of the Vietnamese text shows that the content discusses the giving of robes to monastics, including types of robes such as outer robes and double-layered robes, together with the principle of distributing the common property of the Sangha.

No full source text has been compared within this data, so it is not possible to determine the exact wording, persons involved, circumstances of the rule’s formulation, or specific sequence of events. The version below is a limited AI interpretation, not a translation of the original Vinaya text.

Context

In the monastic life, robes are not merely garments for covering the body, but also a sign of fewness of wishes, contentment, and reliance on the Sangha. A rule connected with “giving robes” usually focuses on how property is received, managed, distributed, and returned. When a robe belongs to an individual, the issue is proper use; when it belongs to the Sangha, the issue is fairness, transparency, and not allowing partiality to govern.

The truncated ending mentions that new robes or repaired robes may be assigned for distribution by elders, or decided upon in a formal meeting if they are common property. This shows that the Vinaya context is not merely about an object, but about the order of communal dwelling. In a community of practice, a robe handled in accordance with the Dharma helps maintain confidence, while a robe handled arbitrarily can create suspicion, discontent, and silent division.

Content That Can Be Determined from the Descriptive Information

From the title “Cīvaradāna,” it can be determined that the main theme is giving, allotting, or distributing robes. The descriptive information places this item in the Comparative Vinaya, so the content is most likely a disciplinary regulation rather than an independent discourse. The code “Pc 27” suggests that this is an item in the Pācittiya group within the structure used in the data, but this interpretation does not go beyond the data given.

The ending indicates that types of robes are given to bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs according to established rules. Distribution must not be arbitrary, but must rest on fairness and transparency. If a robe is public property, its distribution should have a collective character or be carried out by the person responsible in the Sangha. The truncated passage also mentions situations such as when a robe is given, when it is returned, and how to handle the matter if a monastic gives up the going-forth life or is expelled. In such a case, the robe may return to the property of the Sangha to be used for someone else.

The point that can be drawn out is that the rule protects both the requisite and confidence. The robe is regarded as a condition supporting the path, not a possession to be fought over. The recipient of a robe should be grateful and use it for its proper purpose; the person who distributes robes should be impartial; and the community should have a clear mechanism for avoiding suspicion.

Meaning for Practice

The meaning for practice in this item lies in the fact that the training rules bring mindfulness into even very concrete matters. A robe may seem small, but when it enters communal life, it touches many mental formations: desire, comparison, partiality, jealousy, fear of lack, liking to be superior to others, or wishing to create influence through giving. Thus a rule about giving robes is a means of educating the mind.

For monastics, receiving a robe in accordance with the Dharma is a practice of contentment. Clothing need only be sufficient to protect the body, preserve proper bearing, and support practice. If one receives with a mind of accumulation, excessive preference, or dependence on private relationships, the practitioner easily loses the spirit of simplicity. If one rejects common principles in order to seek private benefit, the robe is no longer a Dharma robe but becomes an object that nourishes self-clinging.

For the Sangha, distributing robes in accordance with the Dharma is a practice of harmony. Fairness here does not necessarily mean that everyone receives the same thing, but that decisions are based on need, circumstance, and common rules, not governed by personal affection. Transparency not only helps the recipient feel at ease, but also helps those who have not received avoid suspicion. A community that knows how to manage property in accordance with the Dharma will preserve purity in the eyes of both its members and lay supporters.

The spirit of “a mind that protects the Dharma” in the ending may be understood as the attitude of protecting the true Dharma through small actions. Protecting the Dharma is not only building monasteries, printing scriptures, or teaching the Dharma, but also ensuring that a robe is given to the right person, at the right time, and in the right way. When property is placed under the light of the precepts, it becomes a wholesome condition; when property is placed under the shadow of greed and partiality, it becomes an obstructing condition.

Comparative Note

There has been no comparison with the full text in the data, so one should not determine additional circumstances of the rule’s formulation, place names, persons, specific groups of monastics, or any particular translation. Terms such as cīvara, Pācittiya, or the names of robes mentioned are used only at the level of interpretation from the descriptive information and truncated ending. When the full source becomes available, the scope of the rule must be checked again: the recipients, the types of robes discussed, the Sangha procedure, conditions of return, and the level of offence prescribed. Until the source can be compared, this version should be used only as a preliminary scholarly interpretation of the meaning of property management and the practice of contentment in the Vinaya.