Bu Np 55. Receiving a robe from a nun
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvarapaṭiggahana
A monk who accepts robe-cloth from a nun must relinquish the robe-cloth and confess the offense.
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Discourse Commentary: Receiving a Robe from a Nun
Background
This text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the section on Bhikkhu Nissaggiya Pācittiya (Bu Np) — offenses requiring forfeiture and confession. These are important rules of training within the Pātimokkha of bhikkhus in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition.
The historical context of this text relates to the clear distinction maintained between the community of bhikkhus and the community of nuns (Bhikkhunī Saṅgha). Although the Blessed One permitted these two communities to exist side by side, in order to preserve purity and to avoid misunderstanding or suspicion among the people, he established detailed rules governing interaction between male and female monastics. The rule concerning the receiving of a robe from a nun is one such regulation, intended to protect the dignity and integrity of religious practice.
Main Content
According to the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, if a bhikkhu receives cloth for a robe (cīvara) directly from a nun, he commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense — a category of transgression requiring the forfeiture of the object involved and confession before the Saṅgha or one's companions.
This rule does not mean that a bhikkhu is entirely unable to receive robe-cloth connected with a nun. Rather, it stipulates that the process of receiving must follow proper and formal channels. For example, a nun may send robe-cloth by way of a steward, through male family members, or through other intermediary means recognized as acceptable under the Vinaya.
This reflects a profound principle within the Vinaya: the necessity of maintaining a respectful distance between communities of practice. It is not that the act of receiving a robe is in itself unwholesome, but that this direct manner of doing so may give rise to complicated situations or cast doubt upon the motivations of both parties. The Blessed One taught that monastics should keep away from that which "appears improper" (apparisuddha), even when the act in question does not constitute an actual transgression.
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