Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga - Pācittiya 26: The Training Rule on Sewing Robes.
- Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Brahmali. (More copyright information)
Origin story
1At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time Venerable Udāyī had become skilled in making robes. On one occasion a certain nun went to Udāyī and said to him, “Venerable, would you please sew me a robe?”
He then sewed a robe for that nun, well-dyed and beautifully made, and he drew a picture in the middle of it. He then folded it and put it aside. Soon afterwards that nun went to Udāyī and said, “Sir, where’s the robe?”
“Now, Sister, take this robe as it’s folded and put it aside. When the Sangha of nuns goes to the instruction, then put it on and follow right behind the other nuns.”
And that nun did just that. People complained and criticized her, “How indecent these nuns are, what shameless scoundrels, in that they draw pictures on their robes!”
2The nuns asked her, “Who did this?”
“Venerable Udāyī.”
“This sort of work would not even make an indecent, shameless scoundrel look good, let alone Venerable Udāyī.”
The nuns told the monks.
3The monks of few desires complained and criticized him, “How could Venerable Udāyī sew a robe for a nun?” … “Is it true, Udāyī, that you did this?”
“It’s true, Sir.”
“Is she a relative of yours?”
“No.”
“Foolish man, a man and a woman who are unrelated don’t know what’s appropriate and inappropriate, what’s inspiring and uninspiring, in dealing with each other. So how could you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
Final ruling
4‘If a monk sews a robe for an unrelated nun, or has one sewn, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”
Definitions
5A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.
6Unrelated: 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.
7A nun: she has been given the full ordination by both Sanghas.
8A robe: one of the six kinds of robes.
9Sews: if he sews it himself, then for each stitch he commits an offense entailing confession.
10Has sewn: if he asks another, he commits an offense entailing confession. If he only asks once, then even if the other sews a lot, he commits one offense entailing confession.
Permutations
11If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he sews her a robe or has one sewn, he commits an offense entailing confession. If she is unrelated, but he is unsure of it, and he sews her a robe or has one sewn, he commits an offense entailing confession. If she is unrelated, but he perceives her as related, and he sews her a robe or has one sewn, he commits an offense entailing confession.
12If he sews a robe, or has one sewn, for a nun who is fully ordained only on one side, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is related, but he perceives her as unrelated, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is related, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is related and he perceives her as such, there is no offense.
Non-offenses
13There is no offense: if she is related; if he sews any requisite apart from a robe, or has it sewn; if it is a trainee nun; if it is a novice nun; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
14The training rule on sewing robes, the sixth, is finished.
1p_2V_575, msdiv175Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā udāyī paṭṭo hoti cīvarakammaṁ kātuṁ. Aññatarā bhikkhunī yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca: "sādhu me, bhante, ayyo cīvaraṁ sibbatū"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā udāyī tassā bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ sibbitvā surattaṁ suparikammakataṁ katvā majjhe paṭibhānacittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā saṁharitvā nikkhipi. Atha kho sā bhikkhunī yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca: "kahaṁ taṁ, bhante, cīvaran"ti? =
"Handa, bhagini, imaṁ cīvaraṁ yathāsaṁhaṭaṁ haritvā nikkhipitvā yadā bhikkhunisaṇgho ovādaṁ āgacchati tadā imaṁ cīvaraṁ pārupitvā bhikkhunisaṇghassa piṭṭhito piṭṭhito āgacchā"ti.
Atha kho sā bhikkhunī taṁ cīvaraṁ yathāsaṁhaṭaṁ haritvā nikkhipitvā yadā bhikkhunisaṇgho ovādaṁ āgacchati tadā taṁ cīvaraṁ pārupitvā bhikkhunisaṇghassa piṭṭhito piṭṭhito āgacchati. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: "yāva chinnikā imā bhikkhuniyo dhuttikā ahirikāyo, yatra hi nāma cīvare paṭibhānacittaṁ vuṭṭhāpessantī"ti.
2p_2V_576Bhikkhunīyo evamāhaṁsu— "kassidaṁ kamman"ti?
"Ayyassa udāyissā"ti.
"Yepi te chinnakā dhuttakā ahirikā tesampi evarūpaṁ na sobheyya, kiṁ pana ayyassa udāyissā"ti.
Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.
3p_2V_577Ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: "Kathañhi nāma āyasmā udāyī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ sibbissatī"ti … pe … "Saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, udāyi, bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ sibbasī"ti?
"Saccaṁ, bhagavā"ti.
"Ñātikā te, udāyi, aññātikā"ti?
"Aññātikā, bhagavā"ti.
"Aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātikāya na jānāti patirūpaṁ vā appatirūpaṁ vā pāsādikaṁ vā apāsādikaṁ vā. Kathañhi nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ sibbissasi. Netaṁ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
4p_2V_578, msdiv176"Yo pana bhikkhu aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ sibbeyya vā sibbāpeyya vā, pācittiyan"ti
5p_2V_579, msdiv177Yo panā'ti yo yādiso … pe … bhikkhū'ti … pe … ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.
6p_2V_580Aññātikā nāma mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddhā.
7p_2V_581Bhikkhunī nāma ubhatosaṇghe upasampannā.
8p_2V_582Cīvaraṁ nāma channaṁ cīvarānaṁ aññataraṁ cīvaraṁ.
9p_2V_583Sibbeyyā'ti sayaṁ sibbati ārāpathe ārāpathe āpatti pācittiyassa.
10p_2V_584Sibbāpeyyā'ti aññaṁ āṇāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa. Sakiṁ āṇatto bahukampi sibbati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
11p_2V_585, msdiv178Aññātikāya aññātikasaññī cīvaraṁ sibbati vā sibbāpeti vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. Aññātikāya vematiko cīvaraṁ sibbati vā sibbāpeti vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. Aññātikāya ñātikasaññī cīvaraṁ sibbati vā sibbāpeti vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.
12p_2V_586Ekatoupasampannāya cīvaraṁ sibbati vā sibbāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ñātikāya aññātikasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ñātikāya vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ñātikāya ñātikasaññī, anāpatti.
13p_2V_587, msdiv179Anāpatti— ñātikāya, cīvaraṁ ṭhapetvā aññaṁ parikkhāraṁ sibbati vā sibbāpeti vā, sikkhamānāya, sāmaṇeriyā, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.
14p_2V_588Cīvarasibbanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.