Xct Mu Bi Np 6Asking an Unrelated Person for Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Aññātakaviññatti
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The Aññātakaviññatti Rule: Asking an Outsider for an Inner Garment
Background
The Aññātakaviññatti rule (Asking an Outsider for an Inner Garment) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the early tradition, in the Pātimokkha and subsidiary rules of the Sangha. It is one of the detailed disciplinary teachings on how bhikkhus should observe rules concerning property, especially clothing for practice, which is an essential requisite but also a place where desire can easily arise.
The background of this rule arose from specific situations in the noble community of the Buddha. Bhikkhus needed clothing, but the manner of asking and receiving was governed by strict regulations intended to cultivate a serene mind and freedom from attachment to material things. In particular, asking for robes from “unrelated” people, meaning those who were not formal members of the Sangha or did not have a close bond of support, needed to be regulated in order to avoid abuses or distortion of the rules.
Main Content
This disciplinary rule states that a bhikkhu should not actively ask for robes from people who are not closely related to the Sangha, whether indirectly or through improper channels. If a bhikkhu needs a robe, the proper method is through certain procedures: first asking members of the Sangha or lay supporters with a relationship of trust, or waiting for a voluntary offering.
Specifically, this rule warns against “viññatti” (asking) in a deceitful way or intruding into the sphere of outsiders (aññātaka), because this easily leads to distortion, causes misunderstanding, and harms the reputation of the Sangha. The rule emphasizes that bhikkhus must preserve their virtue, especially by not violating the basic principles of conduct for the sake of material things.
In addition, the rule discusses exceptions, for example when a bhikkhu genuinely lacks clothing, in which case he may proceed through lawful means such as proper support arrangements or the organization of responsible persons within the Sangha.
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