Bu Np 1515. Making an inappropriate sitting blanket

Nisīdanasanthata (Vinaya Piṭaka)

Background

The rule concerning the proper making of a sitting blanket (nisīdanasanthata) is recorded in the Pātimokkha of the original Bhikkhu Saṅgha, specifically in the section on Nissaggiya Pācittiya—offenses requiring forfeiture and confession. This rule arose from a particular incident in which monks of the Buddha's time failed to observe the principle of restraint regarding requisites and the conservation of the four supports.

The sitting blanket (nisīdana) is an essential requisite of the renunciant—a cloth used for sitting in meditation or for daily activities. During the Buddha's time, monks were permitted to possess one such blanket, and it was to be made from recycled pieces of cloth, in particular scraps from old, discarded blankets or worn-out fabric. This reflects the Śrāvaka spirit of minimalism and non-wastefulness.

Main Content

The Nisīdanasanthata rule stipulates that if a monk makes a new sitting blanket without incorporating any piece of previously used material—such as scraps from an old blanket, worn clothing, or discarded fabric—this action is considered an offense of Nissaggiya Pācittiya.

The offense comprises three principal factors: first, the intention to make a new sitting blanket; second, the failure to incorporate any recycled cloth into the finished article; third, the completion of the sitting blanket. When these conditions are fully met, the offense is constituted.

The procedure for rectifying this offense requires the monk to carry out two steps: first, he must perform forfeiture (nissaggiya)—that is, he must hand the sitting blanket over to the community of monks and relinquish ownership of it; second, he must appear before another monk and sincerely confess (āpatti-desanā) his offense, acknowledging his wrongful action and expressing remorse.