Xct Mu Bu Pm Pc 67Hiding Robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvaraapanidhāna
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The Sutta on Hiding Robes (Cīvaraapanidhāna)
Background
The Sutta on Hiding Robes is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Pātimokkha Saṁvara, the fundamental code that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must follow. This account is recorded in Xct Mu Bu Pm Pc 67 and belongs to the class of Pācittiya offenses, violations requiring confession and correction.
In the Buddha’s time, monastics depended on the three robes (cīvara tissamvara): the outer robe (uttarāsaṅga), the inner robe (antaravāsaka), and the shoulder cloth. The saffron robe is not merely clothing, but a symbol of relinquishing ordinary worldly appearance, of patience, and of separation from worldly conditions. Therefore, the way a robe is handled reflects the practitioner’s attitude.
The situations of violation recorded in this sutta arose from specific faults of bhikkhus in the early Sangha community, and the Buddha laid down a prohibition to maintain purity and concentration.
Main Content
The Sutta on Hiding Robes essentially forbids bhikkhus from intentionally hiding, concealing, or secreting their own robes or the robes of others. If a bhikkhu knows that someone else is hiding robes, but does not report it to the Sangha or does not regularly warn against it, this too is considered an offense.
The act of “hiding robes” includes many situations: hiding them in the forest, under a tree, in a cave, or in concealed places; making the robes dirty so that no one wants to wear them; or deliberately allowing the robes to be lost in order to create trouble for the community. Behind such actions is a hardened mind of anger or a wish to humiliate others.
This prohibition is not without reason. It relates to the spirit of “robe distribution” (cīvarakamma) in the Sangha: when new robes or worn robes are available, the Sangha meets to distribute them fairly. If someone hides robes, they undermine this fair process, creating discord and greed.
Practical Meaning
The Sutta on Hiding Robes teaches us that purity lies not only in ideas, but in each concrete daily action.
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