Bi Pc 2828. Giving a robe to a non-monastic
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvaradāna
A nun who gives a robe to anyone who is not a Buddhist monastic must confess the offense.
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Scripture on Giving a Robe to One Outside the Monastic Community
Background
In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is the ethical foundation of the monastic community. The Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha records 311 or 348 rules for female Buddhist monastics, established by the Blessed One Gotama to protect the harmony of the Sangha and to nurture spiritual dedication.
Rule 28 (Bi Pc 28) falls within the Pācittiya section (minor offenses requiring confession), and concerns the giving and management of robes—one of the three material requisites of those who have gone forth. A robe is not merely clothing to cover the body; it is also a symbol of submission to the Dharma and of discipline within the Sangha.
According to its historical context, this rule was established by the Blessed One to ensure that robes are used for their proper purpose—as the garb of those who have gone forth and who observe the rules of the monastic community. Giving robes to those outside the Sangha may cause confusion regarding status, or diminish the significance of such garments within the monastic community.
Main Content
This rule prescribes: if a bhikkhunī gives a robe to anyone who is not a Buddhist monastic or Buddhist nun—that is, one who has not gone forth, who has returned to lay life, or who does not follow the Theravāda tradition—she must confess the offense (āpatti) before the Sangha.
This act is considered a Pācittiya offense, a category of offense requiring public acknowledgment before two or more bhikkhunīs (or before the Sangha in more serious cases). This is not an extremely grave offense (such as Pārājika or Saṅghādisesa), yet it still requires the individual to make amends in order to maintain purity of mind and the honor of the Sangha.
The rationale for this rule lies in the concept of proper fitting (yathāvādi). Robes are requisites allocated to those who have left behind worldly confusion and who have firmly resolved to renounce lay life in order to follow the path of the Buddha.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.