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Buddham Dhammam
  • Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law Theravāda Vinaya
  • The Nuns’ Analysis Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
  • The chapter on offenses entailing confession Pācittiyakaṇḍa
  • The subchapter on nakedness Naggavagga

The training rule on sewing robes 23. Cīvarasibbanasikkhāpada

Origin story

At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. At that time a robe belonging to a certain nun had been badly made and badly sewn from expensive robe-cloth. Tena kho pana samayena aññatarissā bhikkhuniyā mahagghe cīvaradusse cīvaraṁ dukkaṭaṁ hoti dussibbitaṁ. The nun Thullanandā said to her, Thullanandā bhikkhunī taṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca—“Venerable, this robe-cloth is beautiful, “sundaraṁ kho idaṁ te, ayye, cīvaradussaṁ; but the robe has been badly made and badly sewn.” cīvarañca kho dukkaṭaṁ dussibbitan”ti.

“If I unstitch it, will you sew it back together?” “Visibbemi, ayye, sibbissasī”ti?

“Sure.” “Āmāyye, sibbissāmī”ti.

Then that nun unstitched the robe and gave it to Thullanandā. Atha kho sā bhikkhunī taṁ cīvaraṁ visibbetvā thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā adāsi. Yet although Thullanandā Thullanandā bhikkhunī—repeatedly said she would sew it, she neither sewed it herself nor did she make any effort to have someone else do it. “sibbissāmi sibbissāmī”ti neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti.

That nun then told the nuns what had happened. Atha kho sā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi. The nuns of few desires complained and criticized Thullanandā, Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How could Venerable Thullanandā have a nun’s robe unstitched, and then neither sew it herself nor make any effort to have someone else do it?” … “kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbāpetvā neva sibbissati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissatī”ti …pe… “Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?” “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbāpetvā neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karotī”ti?

“It’s true, Sir.” “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.

The Buddha rebuked her … Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… “How could the nun Thullanandā act like this? kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbāpetvā neva sibbissati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissati. This will affect people’s confidence …” … Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this: evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—

Final ruling

‘If a nun, after unstitching a nun’s robe or having it unstitched, neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing confession.’” “Yā pana bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbeyya na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ kareyya, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, pācittiyan”ti.

Definitions

A: Yā panāti
whoever … yā yādisā …pe…
Nun: bhikkhunīti
… The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case. …pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.
A nun’s: Bhikkhuniyāti
another nun’s. aññāya bhikkhuniyā.
Robe: Cīvaraṁ nāma
one of the six kinds of robes. channaṁ cīvarānaṁ aññataraṁ cīvaraṁ.
Unstitching: Visibbetvāti
she unstitches it herself. sayaṁ visibbetvā.
Having it unstitched: Visibbāpetvāti
she has someone else unstitch it. aññaṁ visibbāpetvā.
And there were no obstacles: Sā pacchā anantarāyikinīti
when there is no obstacle. asati antarāye.
She neither sews: Neva sibbeyyāti
she does not sew it herself. na sayaṁ sibbeyya.
Nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it: Na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ kareyyāti
she does not ask anyone else. na aññaṁ āṇāpeyya.
Except if it was no more than four or five days: Aññatra catūhapañcāhāti
unless it was no more than four or five days. ṭhapetvā catūhapañcāhaṁ.

If she thinks, “I’ll neither sew it nor make any effort to have someone else sew it,” then by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, she commits an offense entailing confession. “Neva sibbissāmi na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissāmī”ti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte āpatti pācittiyassa.

Permutations

If the other person is fully ordained, and she perceives her as such, and she unstitches her robe or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing confession. Upasampannāya upasampannasaññā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti pācittiyassa. If the other person is fully ordained, but she is unsure of it, and she unstitches her robe or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing confession. Upasampannāya vematikā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti pācittiyassa. If the other person is fully ordained, but she does not perceive her as such, and she unstitches her robe or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense entailing confession. Upasampannāya anupasampannasaññā cīvaraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti pācittiyassa.

If she unstitches another requisite or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. Aññaṁ parikkhāraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If the other person is not fully ordained, and she unstitches her robe or another requisite, or has it unstitched, and then neither sews it herself nor makes any effort to have someone else sew it, and there were no obstacles, then, except if it was no more than four or five days, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. Anupasampannāya cīvaraṁ vā aññaṁ vā parikkhāraṁ visibbetvā vā visibbāpetvā vā sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva sibbati na sibbāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti, aññatra catūhapañcāhā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

If the other person is not fully ordained, but she perceives her as such, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. Anupasampannāya upasampannasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If the other person is not fully ordained, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. Anupasampannāya vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If the other person is not fully ordained, and she does not perceive her as such, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. Anupasampannāya anupasampannasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: Anāpatti—if there is an obstacle; sati antarāye, if she searches for someone to sew, but does not find anyone; pariyesitvā na labhati, if she is doing it, but she takes longer than four or five days; karontī catūhapañcāhaṁ atikkāmeti, if she is sick; gilānāya, if there is an emergency; āpadāsu, if she is insane; ummattikāya, if she is the first offender. ādikammikāyāti.

The third training rule is finished. Tatiyasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.