Bi Pc 4747. Not relinquishing a communal robe
Pāli / Sanskrit:Āvasathacīvara
A nun who uses a communal menstruation robe beyond the intended period must confess the offense.
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Bi Pc 47: Not Returning the Communal Robe of the Residence
Background
This rule appears in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, under the Pācittiya section — offenses requiring public confession. It arises from the monastic setting of ancient India, where nuns lived together in residences (āvasatha). These residences were communal dwellings, managed jointly through shared goods and communal property. The robe designated for use during menstruation was a necessary item of daily life, prepared for shared use among the nuns.
The history of this rule is connected to the responsible management of communal property. The Buddha clearly prescribed that monastics must care for, make proper use of, and return shared items within the appointed time. This reflects the spirit of non-covetousness (anabhijjhā) — one of the foundational ethical principles of the Sangha.
Main Content
Bi Pc 47 stipulates: if a bhikkhunī uses the communal robe of the residence beyond the intended period without returning it, she has committed a Pācittiya offense. Specifically, this robe is kept in reserve for times of need during menstruation, and each nun is to use it only for the prescribed duration. When she no longer requires it, she bears the responsibility of returning it to the community so that other nuns may make use of it.
The offense lies not in the legitimate use of this item, but in retaining it longer than the allotted time. This is an act of attachment — whether unintentional or deliberate — toward communal property. This offense differs from Nissaggiya offenses (which require forfeiture), since it does not concern personal property but rather one's responsibility toward goods entrusted to serve the common needs of the community.
Confession (pācittiya) in this case requires the nun to acknowledge the offense openly before another nun or before the entire Bhikkhunī Sangha (typically on the occasion of the fortnightly recitation of the Pātimokkha). This act of confession is not merely a formal apology, but a genuine acknowledgment of the fault and a firm resolve to correct one's conduct.
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