Origin story

First sub-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 Venerable Upananda the Sakyan was skilled at teaching. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā upanando sakyaputto paṭṭo hoti dhammiṁ kathaṁ kātuṁ. On one occasion the son of a wealthy merchant went to Upananda, bowed, and sat down. Atha kho aññataro seṭṭhiputto yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. And Upananda instructed, inspired, and gladdened him with a teaching. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho taṁ seṭṭhiputtaṁ āyasmā upanando sakyaputto dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi. Afterwards that merchant’s son said to Upananda: Atha kho so seṭṭhiputto āyasmatā upanandena sakyaputtena dhammiyā kathāya sandassito samādapito samuttejito sampahaṁsito āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ etadavoca—

“Venerable, please tell me what you need. “vadeyyātha, bhante, yena attho. I can give you robe-cloth, almsfood, a dwelling, and medicinal supplies.” Paṭibalā mayaṁ ayyassa dātuṁ yadidaṁ cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāran”ti.

“If you wish to give me something, give me one of your wrap garments.” “Sace me tvaṁ, āvuso, dātukāmosi, ito ekaṁ sāṭakaṁ dehī”ti.

“It’s shameful, venerable, for a gentleman to walk around in only one wrap. “Amhākaṁ kho, bhante, kulaputtānaṁ kismiṁ viya ekasāṭakaṁ gantuṁ. Please wait until I get back home. Āgamehi, bhante, yāva gharaṁ gacchāmi. I’ll send you this wrap or a better one.” Gharaṁ gato ito vā ekaṁ sāṭakaṁ pahiṇissāmi ito vā sundarataran”ti.

A second time Dutiyampi kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto taṁ seṭṭhiputtaṁ etadavoca—“sace me tvaṁ, āvuso, dātukāmosi ito ekaṁ sāṭakaṁ dehī”ti. Amhākaṁ kho bhante kulaputtānaṁ kismiṁ viya ekasāṭakaṁ gantuṁ, āgamehi, bhante yāva gharaṁ gacchāmi, gharaṁ gato ito vā ekaṁ sāṭakaṁ pahiṇissāmi ito vā sundarataranti. and a third time Upananda said Tatiyampi kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto taṁ seṭṭhiputtaṁ etadavoca—the same thing to that merchant’s son, “sace me tvaṁ, āvuso, dātukāmosi, ito ekaṁ sāṭakaṁ dehī”ti. and he got the same reply. Amhākaṁ kho, bhante, kulaputtānaṁ kismiṁ viya ekasāṭakaṁ gantuṁ, āgamehi, bhante yāva gharaṁ gacchāmi, gharaṁ gato ito vā ekaṁ sāṭakaṁ pahiṇissāmi ito vā sundarataranti. He then said, “What’s the point of inviting me if you don’t want to give?” “Kiṁ pana tayā, āvuso, adātukāmena pavāritena yaṁ tvaṁ pavāretvā na desī”ti.

Being pressured by Upananda, that merchant’s son gave him one of his wraps and left. Atha kho so seṭṭhiputto āyasmatā upanandena sakyaputtena nippīḷiyamāno ekaṁ sāṭakaṁ datvā agamāsi. People asked him why he was walking around in only one wrap, Manussā taṁ seṭṭhiputtaṁ etadavocuṁ—“kissa tvaṁ, ayyo, ekasāṭako āgacchasī”ti? and he told them what had happened. Atha kho so seṭṭhiputto tesaṁ manussānaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi. People complained and criticized him, Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“These Sakyan monastics have great desires. They’re not content. “mahicchā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā asantuṭṭhā. Even to make them an appropriate offer isn’t easy. Nayimesaṁ sukarā dhammanimantanāpi kātuṁ. How could they take his wrap when the merchant’s son was making an appropriate offer?” Kathañhi nāma seṭṭhiputtena dhammanimantanāya kayiramānāya sāṭakaṁ gahessantī”ti.

The monks heard the complaints of those people, Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. and the monks of few desires complained and criticized Upananda, Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How could Venerable Upananda ask the merchant’s son for a robe?” “kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto seṭṭhiputtaṁ cīvaraṁ viññāpessatī”ti.

After rebuking him in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned Upananda: 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, seṭṭhiputtaṁ cīvaraṁ viññāpesī”ti?

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

“Is he a relative of yours?” “Ñātako te, upananda, aññātako”ti?

“No.” “Aññātako, bhagavā”ti.

“Foolish man, people who are unrelated don’t know what’s appropriate and inappropriate, what’s good and bad, in dealing with each other. “Aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātakassa na jānāti patirūpaṁ vā appatirūpaṁ vā santaṁ vā asantaṁ vā. And still you did this. Tattha nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, aññātakaṁ seṭṭhiputtaṁ cīvaraṁ viññāpessasi. 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—

Preliminary ruling

‘If a monk asks an unrelated male or female householder for a robe, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’” “Yo pana bhikkhu aññātakaṁ gahapatiṁ vā gahapatāniṁ vā cīvaraṁ viññāpeyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.

In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks. Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.

Second sub-story

Soon afterwards a number of monks who were traveling from Sāketa to Sāvatthī were robbed by bandits. Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū sāketā sāvatthiṁ addhānamaggappaṭipannā honti. Antarāmagge corā nikkhamitvā te bhikkhū acchindiṁsu. Knowing that the Buddha had laid down this training rule and being afraid of wrongdoing, they did not ask for robes. Atha kho te bhikkhū—“bhagavatā paṭikkhittaṁ aññātakaṁ gahapatiṁ vā gahapatāniṁ vā cīvaraṁ viññāpetun”ti, kukkuccāyantā na viññāpesuṁ. As a consequence, they walked naked to Sāvatthī, where they bowed down to the monks. Yathānaggāva sāvatthiṁ gantvā bhikkhū abhivādenti. The monks there said, “These Ājīvaka ascetics are good people, as they bow down to the monks.” Bhikkhū evamāhaṁsu—“sundarā kho ime, āvuso, ājīvakā ye ime bhikkhūsu abhivādentī”ti.

“We’re not Ājīvakas! We’re monks!” Te evamāhaṁsu—“na mayaṁ, āvuso, ājīvakā, bhikkhū mayan”ti.

The monks asked Venerable Upāli to examine them. Bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ upāliṁ etadavocuṁ—“iṅghāvuso upāli, ime anuyuñjāhī”ti.

When the naked monks told him what had happened, Upāli said to the monks, “They are monks. Please give them robes.” Atha kho āyasmatā upālinā anuyuñjiyamānā te bhikkhū etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ. Atha kho āyasmā upāli te bhikkhū anuyuñjitvā bhikkhū etadavoca—“bhikkhū ime, āvuso. Detha nesaṁ cīvarānī”ti.

The monks of few desires complained and criticized them, Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How can monks go naked? “kathañhi nāma bhikkhū naggā āgacchissanti. Shouldn’t they have covered up with grass and leaves?” Nanu nāma tiṇena vā paṇṇena vā paṭicchādetvā āgantabban”ti.

After rebuking those monks in many ways, they told the Buddha. Atha kho te bhikkhū te anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ. Soon afterwards he gave a teaching and addressed the monks: Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—

“Monks, if a monk’s robes are stolen or lost, I allow him to ask an unrelated householder for robes. “anujānāmi, bhikkhave, acchinnacīvarassa vā naṭṭhacīvarassa vā aññātakaṁ gahapatiṁ vā gahapatāniṁ vā cīvaraṁ viññāpetuṁ. At the first monastery where he arrives, if the Sangha has a communal robe, a bedspread, a floor cover, or a mattress cover, he should take that and put it on, thinking, ‘When I get a robe, I’ll return it.’ Yaṁ āvāsaṁ paṭhamaṁ upagacchati, sace tattha hoti saṅghassa vihāracīvaraṁ vā uttarattharaṇaṁ vā bhūmattharaṇaṁ vā bhisicchavi vā, taṁ gahetvā pārupituṁ ‘labhitvā odahissāmī’ti. If there’s none of these things, he should cover up with grass and leaves before going on. He should not go on while naked. No ce hoti saṅghassa vihāracīvaraṁ vā uttarattharaṇaṁ vā bhūmattharaṇaṁ vā bhisicchavi vā tiṇena vā paṇṇena vā paṭicchādetvā āgantabbaṁ; na tveva naggena āgantabbaṁ. If he does, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Yo āgaccheyya, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—