Bu Pc 9090. Making an oversize itch cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi
A monk who makes a bandage that is too large must cut it down and confess the offense.
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Explanation of the Bu Pc 90 Sutta: On Weaving an Oversize Itch Cloth
Background
The Suttavibhaṅga section of the Vinaya Piṭaka records the detailed rules of conduct for bhikkhus, designed to cultivate a pure mind and preserve harmony within the community of practitioners. Bu Pc 90, concerning the weaving of an oversize itch cloth (Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi), falls within the regulations governing personal belongings and standards of requisites, wherein precious teachings on the practice of discipline are enshrined.
In the context of the time of the Buddha, bhikkhus were permitted to possess small pieces of cloth to cover sores or itching areas on the skin. However, as with many other monastic articles, these too were regulated in size in order to guard against a tendency toward accumulation or greed. The text records that certain bhikkhus made itch cloths exceeding the prescribed dimensions, giving rise to an offense requiring rectification.
Main Content
According to the rule as recorded, when a bhikkhu himself makes, or has made by another, an itch cloth (kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi) whose dimensions exceed the permitted standard, such an action constitutes an offense of Pācittiya. Exceeding this size is not a matter of inadvertent carelessness, but reflects a deliberate act of disregarding the regulation.
To rectify this offense, the bhikkhu has two specific responsibilities. First, he must cut the itch cloth down to the correct prescribed dimensions, demonstrating a return to the standard acknowledged by the Saṅgha. Second, he must confess this offense before another bhikkhu through the ceremony of Paṭidesanā (confession). This act of confession is not undertaken in order to seek forgiveness from an external source, but rather to purify one's own mind, to openly acknowledge the wrongdoing, and to express one's resolve to practice in accordance with the proper path.
The regulation of the size of the itch cloth reflects the principle of contentment (santuṭṭhi) and fewness of wishes (appicchatā) in the Dhamma — fundamental virtues of a bhikkhu.
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