Bu Np 1313. Making a new blanket with too much black wool
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dvebhāga
A monk who makes a blanket that contains more than fifty percent black wool must relinquish it and confess the offense.
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Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law The Great Analysis
The chapter on relinquishment The subchapter on silk 13. Making a new blanket with too much black wool
Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time, when the monks from the group of six knew that the Buddha had prohibited having a blanket made entirely of black wool, they added just a little bit of white on the edge, effectively having a blanket made entirely of black wool just as before. The monks of few desires complained and criticized them, “How could the monks from the group of six do this?”
After rebuking those monks in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks: “Is it true, monks, that you do this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how could you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
Final ruling
‘If a monk is having a new blanket made, he should use two parts of entirely black wool, a third part of white, and a fourth part of brown. If he has a new blanket made without using two parts of entirely black wool, a third part of white, and a fourth part of brown, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”
Definitions
New: newly made is what is meant. A blanket: it is made by strewing, not by weaving. Is having made: making it himself or having it made. He should use two parts of entirely black wool: having weighed it, he should use two measures. A third part of white: one measure of white. A fourth part of brown: one measure of brown. Without using two parts of entirely black wool, a third part of white, and a fourth part of brown: if he makes it, or has it made, without using two measures of entirely black wool, one measure of white, and one measure of brown, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. When he gets the blanket, it becomes subject to relinquishment.
The blanket should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual. “And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …” (To be expanded as in Bu NP 1:3.2.5–3.2.29, with appropriate substitutions.)
“Venerables, this blanket, which I got made without using two measures of entirely black wool, one measure of white, and one measure of brown, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” … “the Sangha should give …” “you should give …” “I give this blanket back to you.”
Permutations
If he finishes what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If he has others finish what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If he finishes himself what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If he has others finish what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
If he makes one, or has one made, for someone else, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If he gets one that was made by someone else and then uses it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if he makes one using one measure of white and one measure of brown; if he makes one using more than one measure of white and more than one measure of brown; if he makes one using just white and brown; if he makes a canopy, a floor cover, a cloth screen, a mattress, or a pillow; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
The training rule on making a new blanket with too much black wool, the third, is finished.
The “…” is an abbreviation carried over from the Pāli original itself, called peyyāla. The early canon was memorized and recited, so passages repeated verbatim from a preceding discourse were commonly contracted to an elision mark rather than written out in full. Venerable Thích Minh Châu's translation preserves this convention. Some texts therefore look short — but that is the canonical form, not missing content or a truncated translation. The elided passages can be read in full in the preceding discourses of the same chapter.
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