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Buddham Dhammam
  • Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law Theravāda Vinaya
  • The Great Analysis Mahāvibhaṅga
  • The chapter on relinquishment Nissaggiyakaṇḍa
  • The subchapter on almsbowls Pattavagga

25. The training rule on taking back a robe 25. Cīvaraacchindanasikkhāpada

Origin story

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Venerable Upananda the Sakyan said to his brother’s student, Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā upanando sakyaputto bhātuno saddhivihārikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca—“Come, let’s go wandering the country.” “ehāvuso, janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmā”ti.

“I can’t, venerable, “Nāhaṁ, bhante, gamissāmi; my robes are worn out.” dubbalacīvaromhī”ti.

“I’ll give you a robe.” “Ehāvuso, ahaṁ te cīvaraṁ dassāmī”ti And he gave him a robe. tassa cīvaraṁ adāsi.

Soon afterwards that monk heard Assosi kho so bhikkhu—that the Buddha was about to go wandering the country. “bhagavā kira janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissatī”ti. He thought, Atha kho tassa bhikkhuno etadahosi—“Now I’ll go wandering with the Buddha instead.” “na dānāhaṁ āyasmatā upanandena sakyaputtena saddhiṁ janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmi, bhagavatā saddhiṁ janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmī”ti. Then, when Upananda said, Atha kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca—“Let’s go,” “ehi dāni, āvuso, janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmā”ti. he replied, “I’m not going with you, but with the Buddha.” “Nāhaṁ, bhante, tayā saddhiṁ janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmi, bhagavatā saddhiṁ janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmī”ti.

“Well, that robe I gave you is going with me,” “Yampi tyāhaṁ, āvuso, cīvaraṁ adāsiṁ, mayā saddhiṁ janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissatī”ti, and he just took it back in anger. kupito anattamano acchindi.

That monk told other monks what had happened. Atha kho so bhikkhu bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi. And the monks of few desires complained and criticized Upananda, Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How could Venerable Upananda give away a robe and then take it back in anger?” “kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto bhikkhussa sāmaṁ cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindissatī”ti.

After rebuking him in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks: Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe… “Is it true, Upananda, that you did this?” “saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, upananda, bhikkhussa sāmaṁ cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindī”ti?

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

The Buddha rebuked him … Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… “Foolish man, how could you do this? kathañhi nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, bhikkhussa sāmaṁ cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindissasi. This will affect people’s confidence …” … Netaṁ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

Final ruling

‘If a monk himself gives a robe to a monk, but then, in anger, takes it back or has it taken back, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’” “Yo pana bhikkhu bhikkhussa sāmaṁ cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindeyya vā acchindāpeyya vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.

Definitions

A: Yo panāti
whoever … yo yādiso …pe…
Monk: bhikkhūti
… 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. …pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.
To a monk: Bhikkhussāti
to another monk. aññassa bhikkhussa.
Himself: Sāmanti
he himself has given it. sayaṁ datvā.
A robe: Cīvaraṁ nāma
one of the six kinds of robe-cloth, but not smaller than what can be assigned to another. channaṁ cīvarānaṁ aññataraṁ cīvaraṁ, vikappanupagaṁ pacchimaṁ.
In anger: Kupito anattamanoti
discontent, having hatred, hostile. anabhiraddho āhatacitto khilajāto.
Takes back: Acchindeyyāti
if he takes it back himself, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. sayaṁ acchindati, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
Has taken back: Acchindāpeyyāti
if he asks another, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. aññaṁ āṇāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If he only asks once, then even if the other takes back many, it becomes subject to relinquishment. Sakiṁ āṇatto bahukampi acchindati, nissaggiyaṁ hoti.

The robe-cloth should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual. Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. “And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ. (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.) …pe…

‘Venerables, this robe-cloth, which I took back after giving it to a monk, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’ … “idaṁ me, bhante, cīvaraṁ bhikkhussa sāmaṁ datvā acchinnaṁ nissaggiyaṁ imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe… the Sangha should give … dadeyyāti …pe… you should give … dadeyyunti …pe… ‘I give this robe-cloth back to you.’” āyasmato dammīti.

Permutations

If the other person is fully ordained and he perceives them as such, and after giving them robe-cloth, he takes it back in anger or has it taken back, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. Upasampanne upasampannasaññī cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. If the other person is fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, and after giving them robe-cloth, he takes it back in anger or has it taken back, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. Upasampanne vematiko cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. If the other person is fully ordained, but he does not perceive them as such, and after giving them robe-cloth, he takes it back in anger or has it taken back, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. Upasampanne anupasampannasaññī cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.

If, after giving them another requisite, he takes it back in anger or has it taken back, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Aññaṁ parikkhāraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If, after giving robe-cloth or another requisite to a person who is not fully ordained, he takes it back in anger or has it taken back, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Anupasampannassa cīvaraṁ vā aññaṁ vā parikkhāraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

If the other person is not fully ordained, but he perceives them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Anupasampanne upasampannasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If the other person is not fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Anupasampanne vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If the other person is not fully ordained, and he does not perceive them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Anupasampanne anupasampannasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: Anāpatti—if the other person gives it back; so vā deti, if he takes it on trust from them; tassa vā vissasanto gaṇhāti, if he is insane; ummattakassa, if he is the first offender. ādikammikassāti.

The training rule on taking back a robe, the fifth, is finished. Cīvaraacchindanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ pañcamaṁ.