Xct Mu Bi Pm Np 4Used Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Purāṇacīvara
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The Sutta on Old Robes (Purāṇacīvara)
Background
The disciplinary code of Theravāda Buddhism, the Vinaya Pitaka, records detailed rules of life for the community of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. These regulations are not merely restrictions, but also instructions by which monastics cultivate morality (sīla), train the mind, and attain liberation. The Sutta on Old Robes (Purāṇacīvara) is one of the rules concerning the everyday property of bhikkhus, specifically the robes used in daily life.
In the historical context of the Buddha Gotama, bhikkhus lived an austere life of practice, possessing only the most basic requisites. Clothing was one of the most essential requisites, not only to cover the body but also to express the attitude of renouncing sensuality and non-attachment. Yet when resources were not used carefully, social and spiritual problems could easily arise. This sutta records how the Buddha and the Sangha handled situations related to possessing, reusing, and distributing old robes.
Main Content
The Sutta on Old Robes belongs to the Nisaggiya Pācittiya section, the offenses requiring forfeiture of the offending object and confession. The specific content of this sutta has not been fully translated in the present material, but based on the general context of the Vinaya Pitaka, it addresses the issue that a bhikkhu must not keep too many old robes or use another person’s robe without permission from the Sangha.
The Buddha stipulated that each bhikkhu may possess at most three robes (ti-cīvara): the inner robe (antara-vāsaka), the upper robe (uttara-sanga), and the outer robe (saṅghāṭi). If a bhikkhu possesses robes beyond this limit, or keeps old robes without a legitimate purpose for practice, that is a violation. This principle is intended to eliminate ambition and attachment, for only bhikkhus who observe discipline in this way can teach others about renunciation.
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