Bi Np 1313. The training rule on keeping extra robe-cloth beyond ten days
Pāli / Sanskrit:Kathina
A nun who keeps extra robe-cloth for more than ten day must relinquish the robe-cloth and confess the offense.
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The Scripture on Keeping Robe-Cloth Beyond Ten Days
Background
This training rule appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha—the Parisuddhi Nissaggiya (rules of relinquishment for nuns). It is one of the detailed regulations governing the personal possessions of bhikkhunīs, intended to protect the spirit of non-greed and the ease of mind cultivated during the training life.
During the time of the Buddha, the act of keeping reserve cloth beyond the prescribed period had caused disturbances within the community of nuns. Some bhikkhunīs hoarded robe-cloth beyond their actual needs, leading to inequitable distribution of communal resources, causing disharmony and violating the spirit of the mendicant life. For this reason, the Buddha established the Kathina rule—namely, a restriction on the length of time that surplus robe-cloth may be kept, in order to cultivate a mind of relinquishment and contentment.
Main Content
According to this rule, a bhikkhunī is not permitted to keep robe-cloth (anusodhaniya-cīvaraṃ) for more than ten nights (dasa-rattiyo). Such cloth may be a gift from a donor or lengths of fabric intended for future use. If any bhikkhunī, whether intentionally or unintentionally, keeps the cloth longer than this period without valid reason, she must:
First, immediately relinquish that robe-cloth—that is, she may no longer claim ownership or control over it. The act of relinquishment (pabbajjana) is the means by which she declares she no longer asserts any right over the object.
Second, she must confess the offense (āpatti) before a bhikkhunī serving as witness, or before the entire assembly. This confession is an essential step for resolving the consequence of the Vinaya transgression (Dukkaṭa—a minor offense) that she has committed.
If she does not confess for an extended period, the offense becomes more serious. What is important is that the acts of relinquishment and confession must be performed honestly and voluntarily, not under compulsion.
Practical Significance
This rule is not merely a matter of administration or the management of property.
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