Bu Np 22. Staying apart from one’s robes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Udosita
A monk who stays apart from any of his three robes for more than one day must relinquish the robe and confess the offense.
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Udosita: The Rule Concerning Robes
Background
In the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, regulations concerning the management of a monastics's personal requisites are classified under Nissaggiya Pācittiya — offenses requiring forfeiture and confession. The Udosita rule falls within the Bhikkhu Pātimokkha, specifically among the rules pertaining to the three robes (ticīvara): the inner robe (sabhaṇḍika), the upper robe (uttarāsaṅga), and the double robe (saṅghāṭi). These are not ordinary possessions, but sacred requisites of the training, issued by the Saṅgha community in support of the practice.
The origin of this rule is connected to a historical event. According to the accounts in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the cause arose from certain monastics who did not properly look after their training requisites, or who left their robes elsewhere for an extended period, causing them to become damaged or lost. The Buddha recognized that such conduct violated the spirit of "few wishes and contentment" (appicchatā santuṭṭhī) — a foundational virtue in early Buddhism.
Main Content
The Udosita rule is stated as follows: if a bhikkhu separates himself from any one of his three robes for more than one day and night (rattiṃ), he must forfeit (nissaggiya) that robe and confess the offense (pācittiya) before the Saṅgha.
The phrase "more than one day and night" has a clear meaning: if a bhikkhu leaves a robe in one place — whether through forgetfulness or intention — and does not keep all three robes with him for more than one consecutive night, he has committed an offense. This period is reckoned by nights rather than by days, for in the Buddhist tradition the day begins at sunset.
This rule carries the character of communal property. The three robes do not belong entirely to the individual; they are recognized by the Saṅgha as requisites of the training. Thus, to allow the robes to be left behind or neglected for a prolonged period is regarded as a failure to respect communal property. The act of forfeiture (nissaggiya) — the compulsory surrender of the requisite — is the primary penalty, and it must be accompanied by the confession of the offense before the monastic community, so as to purify the mind and restore the relationship.
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