Bi Np 22. Distributing out-of-season robe-cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:Akālacīvara
A nun who distributes robe-cloth inappropriately must relinquish the robe-cloth and confess the offense.
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law The Nuns’ Analysis
The chapter on relinquishment The subchapter on almsbowls 2. Distributing out-of-season robe-cloth
Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time, after completing the rainy-season residence in a village monastery, a number of nuns were traveling to Sāvatthī. They were perfect in conduct and deportment, but poorly dressed in shabby robes.
Some lay followers who saw them thought, “These nuns are perfect in conduct and deportment, but poorly dressed in shabby robes; they must’ve been robbed,” and they gave out-of-season robe-cloth to the Sangha of nuns. Because they had performed the robe-making ceremony, the nun Thullanandā determined it as in-season robe-cloth, and then distributed it. The lay followers asked those nuns whether they had obtained any robe-cloth.
They replied that they hadn’t and told them what had happened. Those lay followers then complained and criticized her, “How could Venerable Thullanandā determine out-of-season robe-cloth as ‘in-season’, and then distribute it?”
The nuns heard the complaints of those lay followers, and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How could Venerable Thullanandā do this?” Those nuns then told the monks, who in turn told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks: “Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
The Buddha rebuked her … “How could the nun Thullanandā do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
‘If a nun determines out-of-season robe-cloth as “in-season”, and then distributes it, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”
Definitions
A: whoever … Nun: … The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case. Out-of-season robe-cloth: for one who has not participated in the robe-making ceremony, it is robe-cloth given during the eleven months. For one who has participated in the robe-making ceremony, it is robe-cloth given during the seven months. Also, if it is given in the robe season, but the cloth is designated, it is called “out-of-season robe-cloth”.
If she distributes it after determining the out-of-season robe-cloth as “in-season”, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. When she gets it, it becomes subject to relinquishment. The robe-cloth should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual nun.
“And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …” (To be expanded as in Bi NP 1:2.1.21–2.1.43, with appropriate substitutions.)
“Venerables, this out-of-season robe-cloth, which I distributed after determining it as “in-season”, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” … “the Sangha should give …” “you should give …” “I give this robe-cloth back to you.”
Permutations
If it is out-of-season robe-cloth and she perceives it as such, and she distributes it after determining it as “in-season”, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is out-of-season robe-cloth, but she is unsure of it, and she distributes it after determining it as “in-season”, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is out-of-season robe-cloth, but she perceives it as in-season robe-cloth, and she distributes it after determining it as “in-season”, there is no offense.
If it is in-season robe-cloth, but she perceives it as out-of-season robe-cloth, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is in-season robe-cloth, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is in-season robe-cloth and she perceives it as such, there is no offense.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if she distributes out-of-season robe-cloth that she perceives as in-season; if she distributes in-season robe-cloth that she perceives as in-season; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
The second training rule is finished.
The “…” is an abbreviation carried over from the Pāli original itself, called peyyāla. The early canon was memorized and recited, so passages repeated verbatim from a preceding discourse were commonly contracted to an elision mark rather than written out in full. Venerable Thích Minh Châu's translation preserves this convention. Some texts therefore look short — but that is the canonical form, not missing content or a truncated translation. The elided passages can be read in full in the preceding discourses of the same chapter.
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.