Mahavagga, Khandaka 8, Chapter 13

1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Rājagaha as long as he thought fit, he went forth on his journey towards Vesālī. And the Blessed One, when on the high road between Rājagaha and Vesālī, saw a number of Bhikkhus smothered up in robes^[1], they went along with robes made up into a roll^[2] on their heads, or on their backs, or on their waist. And when the Blessed One saw them, he thought: 'With too great celerity have these foolish persons given themselves up to superfluity^[3] in the matter of dress. It would be well were I to confine the dress of the Bhikkhus within limits, and were to fix a bound thereto.'

2. And the Blessed One, proceeding in due course on his journey toward Vesālī, arrived at that place. And there, at Vesālī, the Blessed One stayed at the Gotamaka shrine^[4]. And at that time in the cold winter nights, in the period between the Ashṭakā festivals when the snow falls^[5], the Blessed One sat at night in the open air with but one robe on, and the Blessed One felt not cold. As the first watch of the night was coming to its end, the Blessed One felt cold; and he put on a second robe, and felt not cold. As the middle watch of the night was coming to its end, the Blessed One felt cold; and he put on a third robe, and felt not cold. As the last watch of the night was coming to an end, when the dawn was breaking and the night was far spent^[6], the Blessed One felt cold; and he put on a fourth robe, and felt not cold.

3. Then this thought sprang up in the Blessed One's mind: 'Those men of good birth^[7] in this doctrine and discipline who are affected by cold, and are afraid of cold, they are able to make use of three robes^[8]. It were well if in confining within limits the dress of the Bhikkhus, and in fixing a bound thereto, I were to allow the use of three robes.' And on that occasion the Blessed One, when he had delivered a religious discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:

4, 5. 'When on the high road, &c. . . . I saw, &c. . . . and I thought, &c. . . . (all the chapter is repeated down to ". . . . I were to allow the use of three robes"). I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of three robes, (to wit), a double waist cloth, and a single^[9] upper robe, and a single under garment^[10].'

6. Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus, on the ground that three robes had been allowed by the Blessed One, used to frequent the village in one suit of three robes, and in another suit to rest in the Ārāma, and in another to go to the bath. Then those Bhikkhus who were modest were annoyed, murmured, and became indignant, saying, How can the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus wear extra suits of robes.'

And those Bhikkhus told the matter to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One on that occasion, when he had delivered a religious discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to wear an extra suit of robes. Whosoever does so, shall be dealt with according to law^[11]:

7. Now at that time the venerable Ānanda had acquired an extra suit of robes, and the venerable Ānanda was desirous of giving the extra suit to the venerable Sāriputta, but the venerable Sāriputta was staying at Sāketa. Then the venerable Ānanda thought: 'It hath been laid down by the Blessed One that we are not to keep an extra suit of robes. Now I have received one, and I want to give it to the venerable Sāriputta; but he is staying at Sāketa. What now shall I do?' And the venerable Ānanda told this thing to the Blessed One.

'How long will it be, Ānanda, before the venerable Sāriputta returns?'

'He will come back, Lord, on the ninth or the tenth day from now.'

Then the Blessed One on that occasion, when he had delivered a religious discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to keep an extra suit of robes up to the tenth day^[12].'

8. Now at that time the Bhikkhus used to get extra suits of robes given to them. And these Bhikkhus thought: 'What now should we do with extra suits of robes?'

They told this thing to the Blessed One.

'I enjoin upon you, O Bhikkhus, to make over an extra suit of robes (to other Bhikkhus who have no robes^[13]).'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ubbhaṇḍite cīvarehi. The former word is of course applied to the Bhikkhus. Compare Childers, under Bhaṇḍikā, and Jātaka I, 504 (last line but one).

[2]:

Bhisī = Sanskrit Bṛsī. Compare the 14th Pācittiya, where we ought to have rendered the word 'bolster.' Childers is incorrect in translating it by 'mat'

[3]:

Mentioned also, as being near to Vesālī, in the 'Book of the Great Decease,' III, 2.

[4]:

Bāhullāya āvattā. This phrase occurs in Mahāvagga I, 31, 5.

[5]:

See our note on the same phrase at Mahāvagga I, 20, 15.

[6]:

Nandimukhiyā rattiyā. The derivation of this phrase is uncertain, though the general meaning is not subject to doubt. The Sanskrit form of the whole phrase will be found in the Lalita Vistara at p. 447. Comp. Śāṅkhāyana-gṛhya, ed. Oldenberg, IV, 4, where the word nāndīmukho occurs in a different connection.

[7]:

In the text read Ye pi kho kulaputtā. The idea is that men of lower grade, being accustomed to cold, would not want so many robes. But there must be one rule for all; and the rule is accordingly made to suit the comfort of the weaker brethren--early Buddhism, contrary to an erroneous opinion still frequently ex-pressed, being opposed to asceticism.

[8]:

Or, 'to get on with the three robes.' Compare the use of yāpetuṃ in the 'Book of the Great Decease,' II, 32.

[9]:

Ekacciyaṃ. Compare Jātaka I, 326. Buddhaghosa says dviguṇaṃ dupaṭṭa-saṃghāṭiṃ ekacciyaṃ ekapaṭṭaṃ. Though 'single,' the lengths of cotton cloth, pieced together, of which the robes were made, were allowed to be doubled at the seams, the collar, the elbows, and the knees. See above, VII, 1, 5.

[10]:

The waist cloth (saṃghāṭi) was wrapped round the waist and back, and secured with a girdle. The under garment (antaravāsaka; see also the end of this note) was wrapped round the loins and reached below the knee, being fastened round the loins by an end of the cloth being tucked in there; and sometimes also by a girdle. The upper robe (uttarāsaṃga) was wrapped round the legs from the loins to the ankles, and the end was then drawn, at the back, from the right hip, over the left shoulder, and either (as is still the custom in Siam, and in the Siamese sect in Ceylon) allowed to fall down in front, or (as is still the custom in Burma, and in the Burmese sect in Ceylon) drawn back again over the right shoulder, and allowed to fall down on the back. From the constant reference to the practice of adjusting the robe over one shoulder as a special mark of respect (for instance, Mahāvagga I, 29, 2; IV, 3. 3), the' Burmese custom would seem to be in accordance with the most ancient way of usually wearing the robe. The oldest statues of the Buddha, which represent the robe as falling over only one shoulder, are probably later than the passages just referred to.

[11]:

That is, according to the first Nissaggiya. The first section of the Sutta-vibhaṅga on that rule is identical with this section.

[12]:

So the first Nissaggiya; the second section of the Sutta-vibhaṅga on which rule is identical with this section 7.

[13]:

On vikappetuṃ, compare our note above, the 59th Pācittiya, and below, chapters 20, 22.