Bu Np 66. Asking an unrelated person for a robe
Pāli / Sanskrit:Aññātakaviññatti
A monk who asks a lay person for robe-cloth, except if his robes are lost or destroyed, must relinquish the robe-cloth and confess the offense.
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Exposition of the Aññātakaviññatti Sutta (Bu Np 6)
The rule on asking an unrelated person for a robe
Background
The Aññātakaviññatti belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, within the chapter on Nisaggiya Pācittiya (offenses requiring forfeiture and confession). This is the section of the Vinaya that governs the handling of transgressions regarded as less serious than the major offenses, yet still requiring formal procedure and confession.
This text arises from circumstances within the early monastic community, when bhikkhus (monks) needed to manage their basic requisites—in particular the robe (cīvara), which is one of the three essential requisites of a monastic. The Blessed One established clear rules in order to prevent favoritism and improper influence, and to maintain the purity of the bhikkhu community.
Main Content
The text prescribes that a bhikkhu is not permitted to actively request (viññatti) from the lay community or from individuals who are not direct relatives (aññātaka — unrelated persons) the provision of cloth or robes. This is intended to protect spiritual independence and to prevent dependence upon relationships outside the community.
However, the text clearly sets forth one important exception: if a bhikkhu's robe has been lost or destroyed, he is then permitted to request a replacement robe from anyone. This exception does not arise from greed, but from a genuine need to maintain the conditions for monastic life.
If a bhikkhu transgresses this rule—that is, if he requests a robe from unrelated persons without legitimate reason—he must carry out three steps: first, forfeiture (nissaggiya) of the robe obtained through the improper request; second, acknowledgment of the fault; and third, performance of pāṭidesanā (confession) before the entire Sangha. This process is regarded as a form of practice in mental purification, enabling the bhikkhu to restore his purity.
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