Mahavagga, Khandaka 8, Chapter 14

1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Vesālī as long as he thought fit, he went onwards on his journey towards Benares. And in due course he arrived at Benares, and there, at Benares, he stayed in the hermitage in the Migadāya.

Now at that time a certain Bhikkhu's under robe was torn. And that Bhikkhu thought: 'The Blessed One has ordained the use of three robes, a double waist cloth, and a single upper robe, and a single under-garment^[1], and this under-garment of mine is torn. What if I were to insert a slip of cloth^[2] so that the robe shall be double all round and single in the middle.'

2. So that Bhikkhu inserted a slip of cloth. And the Blessed One on his way round the sleeping apartments saw him doing so, went up to the place where he was, and said to him:

'What are you doing, O Bhikkhu?'

'I am inserting a slip of cloth, Lord.'

'That is very good, O Bhikkhu. It is quite right of you, O Bhikkhu, to insert a slip of cloth.'

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

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to use a double waist cloth, and a single upper robe, and a single under-garment, of cloths which are new, or as good as new^[3]; and the use of a fourfold waist cloth, and of a double upper robe, and of a double under robe of cloth which has been worn for a long time. You are to make endeavour to get sufficient material from rags taken from the dust-heap^[4], or from bits picked up in the bazaar^[4]. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, slips of cloth inserted bolt-like to hold a torn robe together, patches^[5], darns^[6], and small pieces of cloth sewn on by way of marking^[6], or of strengthening^[6] the robe.'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See above, VIII, 13, 5.

[2]:

Buddhaghosa says, Aggaṭaṃ acchādeyyan (sic) ti chinnaṭṭhāne pilotika-khaṇḍam laggāpeyyaṃ. The word occurs at Jātaka I, 8, where the liability to want such an insertion is given as one of the nine disadvantages of a robe from the ascetic's point of view.

[3]:

Ahata-kappānaṃ. See above, VII, 1, 6.

[4]:

See our notes on these expressions above, VII, 1, 6.

[5]:

This liability to have to be patched is given, in connection with the previous phrase, as one of the nine disadvantages of robes at Jātaka I, 8; and tunnavāya occurs as the expression for a mender of old clothes at Cullavagga VI, 5, I.

[6]:

See our notes on these expressions above, VII, 1, 5.