Dhammaquelle Texts, Talks and Meditations

← VINAYA

Bu NP 3

3. The third training rule on the robe season

3. Tatiyakathinasikkhāpada

from: The Great Analysis

The chapter on relinquishment The subchapter on robes

3. The third training rule on the robe season

Origin story

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, a monk had been given robe-cloth outside the robe season. While he was making the robe, he realized there was not enough cloth. Lifting it up, he smoothed it out again and again.

While walking about the dwellings, the Buddha saw that monk acting in this way. He went up to him and said, “What are you doing, monk?”

“Sir, I’ve been given this out-of-season robe-cloth, but it’s not enough to make a robe. That’s why I lift it up and smooth it out again and again.”

“Are you expecting to receive more cloth?”

“I am.”

Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

“Monks, I allow you to keep out-of-season robe-cloth if you are expecting to receive more.”

When they heard about this, some monks kept out-of-season robe-cloth for more than a month, keeping them in bundles on a bamboo robe rack. While walking about the dwellings, Venerable Ānanda saw that robe-cloth, and he asked the monks, “Whose cloth is this?”

“It’s our out-of-season robe-cloth, which we’re keeping because we’re expecting more.”

“But how long have you kept it?”

“More than a month.”

Venerable Ānanda complained and criticized them, “How can these monks keep out-of-season robe-cloth for more than a month?”

After rebuking those monks in many ways, Venerable Ānanda told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks: “Is it true, monks, that there are monks who do this?”

“It’s true, sir.”

The Buddha rebuked them … “How can those foolish men keep out-of-season robe-cloth for more than a month? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

Final ruling

‘When his robe is finished and the robe season has ended, if out-of-season robe-cloth is offered to a monk, he may receive it if he wishes. If he receives it, he should quickly make a robe. If there is not enough cloth, but he is expecting more, he should keep it at most one month to make up the lack. If he keeps it longer than that, then even if he expects more cloth, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

Definitions

When his robe is finished: the monk has made a robe; or the robe-cloth has been lost, destroyed, or burned; or his expectation of receiving further robe-cloth is disappointed. The robe season has ended: it has ended according to one of the eight key phrases or the Sangha has ended it. Out-of-season robe-cloth: for one who has not participated in the robe-making ceremony, it is robe-cloth given during the eleven months. for one who has participated in the robe-making ceremony, it is robe-cloth given during the seven months. Also, if it is given in the robe season, but the cloth is designated, it is called “out-of-season robe-cloth”. If it is offered: If it is offered by a sangha, by a group, by a relative, or by a friend, or if it is rags, or if he got it by means of his own property. If he wishes: if he desires, he may receive it. If he receives it, he should quickly make a robe: it should be made within ten days. If there is not enough cloth: if there is not enough cloth when the robe is being made. He should keep it at most one month: he should keep it one month at a maximum. To make up the lack: for the purpose of making up the lack. But he is expecting more: he is expecting more from a sangha, from a group, from a relative, or from a friend, or he is expecting to get rags, or he is expecting to get it by means of his own property. If he keeps it longer than that, then even if he expects more cloth:

if he is given the expected robe-cloth on the same day as he was given the original robe-cloth, it must be made into a robe within ten days. If he is given the expected robe-cloth the day after he was given the original robe-cloth, it must be made into a robe within ten days. If he is given the expected robe-cloth two days after … three days after … eighteen days after … … nineteen days after he was given the original robe-cloth, it must be made into a robe within ten days. If he is given the expected robe-cloth twenty days after he was given the original robe-cloth, it must be made into a robe within nine days. If he is given the expected robe-cloth twenty-one days after he was given the original robe-cloth, it must be made into a robe within eight days. … twenty-two days after … twenty-seven days after … If he is given the expected robe-cloth twenty-eight days after he was given the original robe-cloth, it must be made into a robe within one day. If he is given the expected robe-cloth twenty-nine days after he was given the original robe-cloth, it must be determined, assigned to another, or given away on that very day. If he does not determine it, assign it to another, or give it away, it becomes subject to relinquishment at dawn on the thirtieth day.

The robe-cloth should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual. “And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. (To be expanded as in <a href='https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bu-vb-np1#3.2.5'>Bu NP 1:3.2.5</a>–3.2.29, with appropriate substitutions.)

‘Venerables, this out-of-season robe-cloth, which I have kept for more than a month, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’ … the Sangha should give … you should give … ‘I give this robe-cloth back to you.’”

If he is given the expected robe-cloth, but it is different from the robe-cloth originally given to him, and there are days remaining, he does not have to make a robe if he does not want to.

Permutations

If it is more than a month and he perceives it as more, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is more than a month, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is more than a month, but he perceives it as less, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

If it has not been determined, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been assigned to another, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been given away, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been lost, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been destroyed, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been burned, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been stolen, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

If he uses robe-cloth that should be relinquished without first relinquishing it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than a month, but he perceives it as more, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than a month, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than a month and he perceives it as less, there is no offense.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if within a month it has been determined, assigned to another, given away, lost, destroyed, burned, stolen, or taken on trust; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

The third training rule on the robe season, the third, is finished.

Translation: English (Bhikkhu Brahmali). Source: SuttaCentral / Bilara (public domain, CC0).

These texts are freely available — anyone who wishes can support the work with a gift.