Bu Np 2828. Storing haste-cloth too long
Pāli / Sanskrit:Accekacīvara
A monk who stores “an urgent robe” beyond the acceptable time limit must relinquish it and confess the offense.
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
The Accekacīvara Rule: Keeping Robe-Cloth Too Long
Background
In the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, Bu Np 28 is one of the regulations concerning the management of a bhikkhu's possessions. It forms part of the Bhikkhu Pātimokkha, specifically belonging to the category of Nissaggiya Pācittiya—offenses that require the forfeiture of the item involved and the confession of the transgression.
The background arises from an incident during the lifetime of the Buddha. Certain bhikkhus, whether newly ordained or in difficult circumstances, had kept robe-cloth—in particular "acceka cīvara," meaning urgently prepared robe-cloth, that is, cloth woven, dyed, or sewn in a short period of time to meet an immediate need—for too long, exceeding the permitted time limit. This action violated the principles of non-accumulation and the firm relinquishment of possessions, which are manifestations of greed—the root of suffering in the Buddha's teaching.
The Buddha established this rule to protect the spiritual lives of bhikkhus, helping them maintain purity and mental freedom, unbound by impermanent material things.
Main Content
The rule Bu Np 28 states clearly: if a bhikkhu retains "urgent robe-cloth" (acceka cīvara) beyond the permitted period—ordinarily one month, or as specifically determined by the Sangha—that bhikkhu commits an offense of Nissaggiya Pācittiya.
According to this rule, a bhikkhu has three steps by which to remedy the offense. First, he must voluntarily forfeit the item in question (that robe-cloth). Second, he must confess his transgression before another bhikkhu or before the Sangha. Third, only after completing these two steps may the bhikkhu return to a state of purity in his practice.
Urgent robe-cloth (acceka cīvara) refers to robes sewn hastily to meet an immediate need—when a bhikkhu is cold or in some exceptional circumstance.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
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.