Bu Np 7

7. Tatuttarisikkhāpada

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū acchinnacīvarake bhikkhū upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadanti— “bhagavatā, āvuso, anuññātaṁ— ‘acchinnacīvarassa vā naṭṭhacīvarassa vā aññātakaṁ gahapatiṁ vā gahapatāniṁ vā cīvaraṁ viññāpetuṁ’; viññāpetha, āvuso, cīvaran”ti. “Alaṁ, āvuso, laddhaṁ amhehi cīvaran”ti. “Mayaṁ āyasmantānaṁ viññāpemā”ti. “Viññāpetha, āvuso”ti. Atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū gahapatike upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ— “acchinnacīvarakā, āvuso, bhikkhū āgatā. Detha nesaṁ cīvarānī”ti, bahuṁ cīvaraṁ viññāpesuṁ. Tena kho pana samayena aññataro puriso sabhāyaṁ nisinno aññataraṁ purisaṁ etadavoca— “acchinnacīvarakā ayyo bhikkhū āgatā. Tesaṁ mayā cīvaraṁ dinnan”ti. Sopi evamāha—“mayāpi dinnan”ti. Aparopi evamāha—“mayāpi dinnan”ti. Te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā na mattaṁ jānitvā bahuṁ cīvaraṁ viññāpessanti, dussavāṇijjaṁ vā samaṇā sakyaputtiyā karissanti, paggāhikasālaṁ vā pasāressantī”ti. Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū na mattaṁ jānitvā bahuṁ cīvaraṁ viññāpessantī”ti. Atha kho te bhikkhū chabbaggiye bhikkhū anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe… “saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, na mattaṁ jānitvā bahuṁ cīvaraṁ viññāpethā”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, na mattaṁ jānitvā bahuṁ cīvaraṁ viññāpessatha. Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

Accepting too many robes Origin story

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, the monks from the group of six said to the monks whose robes had been stolen, “The Buddha has allowed a monk whose robes have been stolen or lost to ask an unrelated householder for a robe. You should ask for a robe.” “It’s not necessary. We’ve already gotten robes.” “We’ll ask for you.” “Do as you please.” The monks from the group of six then went to householders and said, “Monks have arrived whose robes have been stolen. Please give them robes.” And they asked for many robes. Soon afterwards in the public meeting hall a certain man said to another, “Sir, monks have arrived whose robes have been stolen. I’ve given them robes.” The other replied, “So have I.” And another said the same. They complained and criticized those monks, “How can the Sakyan monastics ask for many robes without moderation? Are they going to trade in cloth or set up shop?” The monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, “How could the monks from the group of six ask for many robes without moderation?” 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 did 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:

“Tañce aññātako gahapati vā gahapatānī vā bahūhi cīvarehi abhihaṭṭhuṁ pavāreyya santaruttaraparamaṁ tena bhikkhunā tato cīvaraṁ sāditabbaṁ. Tato ce uttari sādiyeyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.

Final ruling

‘If an unrelated male or female householder invites that monk to take many robes, he should accept at most one sarong and one upper robe. If he accepts more than that, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

Tañceti acchinnacīvarakaṁ bhikkhuṁ. Aññātako nāma mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddho. Gahapati nāma yo koci agāraṁ ajjhāvasati. Gahapatānī nāma yā kāci agāraṁ ajjhāvasati. Bahūhi cīvarehīti bahukehi cīvarehi. Abhihaṭṭhuṁ pavāreyyāti yāvatakaṁ icchasi tāvatakaṁ gaṇhāhīti. Santaruttaraparamaṁ tena bhikkhunā tato cīvaraṁ sāditabbanti sace tīṇi naṭṭhāni honti dve sāditabbāni, dve naṭṭhāni ekaṁ sāditabbaṁ, ekaṁ naṭṭhaṁ na kiñci sāditabbaṁ. Tato ce uttari sādiyeyyāti tatuttari viññāpeti, payoge dukkaṭaṁ. Paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṁ hoti. Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ. …pe… “idaṁ me, bhante, cīvaraṁ aññātakaṁ gahapatikaṁ upasaṅkamitvā tatuttari viññāpitaṁ nissaggiyaṁ. Imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe… dadeyyāti …pe… dadeyyunti …pe… āyasmato dammīti.

Definitions

That monk: the monk whose robes have been stolen. Unrelated: anyone who is not a descendant of one’s male ancestors going back eight generations, either on the mother’s side or on the father’s side. A male householder: any man who lives at home. A female householder: any woman who lives at home. Many robes: a lot of robes. Invites to take: saying, “Take as many as you like.” He should accept at most one sarong and one upper robe: if three robes are lost, he should accept two; if two robes are lost, he should accept one; if one robe is lost, he should not accept any. If he accepts more than that: if he asks for more than that, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. When he gets the robe, it becomes subject to relinquishment. The robe 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 robe, which I received after asking an unrelated householder for too many, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” … “the Sangha should give …” “you should give …” “I give this robe back to you.”

Aññātake aññātakasaññī tatuttari cīvaraṁ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.

Permutations

If the person is unrelated and the monk perceives them as such, and he asks them for too many robes, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

Aññātake vematiko tatuttari cīvaraṁ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Aññātake ñātakasaññī tatuttari cīvaraṁ viññāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Ñātake aññātakasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ñātake vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ñātake ñātakasaññī, anāpatti.

If the person is unrelated, but the monk is unsure of it, and he asks them for too many robes, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If the person is unrelated, but the monk perceives them as related, and he asks them for too many robes, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If the person is related, but the monk perceives them as unrelated, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If the person is related, but the monk is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If the person is related and the monk perceives them as such, there is no offense.

Anāpatti— “sesakaṁ āharissāmī”ti haranto gacchati, “sesakaṁ tuyheva hotū”ti denti, na acchinnakāraṇā denti, na naṭṭhakāraṇā denti, ñātakānaṁ, pavāritānaṁ, attano dhanena, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if he takes too much, but with the intention of returning the remainder; if they give, saying, “The remainder is for you;” if they give, but not because his robes were stolen; if they give, but not because his robes were lost; if it is from relatives; if it is from those who have given an invitation; if it is by means of his own property; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.