Bi Pc 2424. Moving robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Saṅghāṭicāra
A nun who leaves any of her five robes untouched for five days must confess the offense.
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Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law The Nuns’ Analysis
The chapter on offenses entailing confession The subchapter on nakedness 24. Moving robes
Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the nuns stored one of their robes with other nuns and then left to wander the country in a sarong and an upper robe. Because they were stored for a long time, the robes became moldy. When the nuns put them out to sun them, other nuns asked them, “Whose moldy robes are these?”
And they told them what had happened.
The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can nuns store one of their robes with other nuns and then go wandering the country in a sarong and an upper robe?” … “Is it true, monks, that nuns do this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
The Buddha rebuked them … “How can nuns do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
‘If a nun does not move her robes for more than five days, she commits an offense entailing 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. Does not move her robes for more than five days: if she does not wear or sun her five robes on the fifth day, then, when the fifth day has passed, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Permutations
If it is more than five days, and she perceives it as more, she commits an offense entailing confession. If it is more than five days, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense entailing confession. If it is more than five days, but she perceives it as less, she commits an offense entailing confession.
If it is less than five days, but she perceives it as more, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than five days, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than five days and she perceives it as less, there is no offense.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if she wears or suns the five robes on the fifth day; if she is sick; if there is an emergency; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
The fourth 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.
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