Bu Np 99. Requesting a fine robe from a combined fund
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyaupakkhata
If two separate lay people want to buy a robe for a monk, and the monk asks them to put their money together to buy him a fine robe, he must relinquish the robe and confess the offense.
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Scripture on Requesting a Fine Robe from a Combined Fund
Dutiyaupakkhata — Vinaya Piṭaka (Bu Np 9)
Background
This text is recorded in the Pātimokkha of the bhikkhus — the most fundamental code of rules within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition. It arose from an incident within the early monastic community, when the Buddha discovered that a bhikkhu had engaged in conduct inconsistent with a humble way of life and the principle of minimizing material needs — core principles of the Saṅgha.
In the early days, lay followers living in the midst of sensual pleasures held the Saṅgha in the deepest reverence. They would willingly prepare necessities such as robes, food, and lodging for the bhikkhus. However, some bhikkhus began to take this voluntary spirit for granted. Rather than accepting what was offered, they would actively request improvements in quality — in particular, soliciting "fine" robes (uttarissara) from two or more lay devotees.
The Dutiyaupakkhata deals specifically with the case of a bhikkhu who asks two different lay persons to pool their resources in order to purchase for him a robe of high quality. This is regarded as a violation of the principle of humility and an abuse of the trust of those who practice the Buddhist path.
Main Content
The situation set forth in the text is very specific: two lay persons had each independently intended to offer a robe to a certain bhikkhu. Rather than accepting their kind intentions in the ordinary way, that bhikkhu persuaded or directed them to combine their funds in order to buy a single robe of better and finer quality — an act referred to as upakkhata (requesting, persuading).
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, when a bhikkhu engages in such conduct, he commits an offense of Nissaggiya Pācittiya — an offense that requires forfeiture of the wrongly obtained article (in this case, the robe that was purchased) and confession of the transgression before the Saṅgha or before a senior monastic.
This conduct is considered a violation for three profound reasons.
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