On asking for a boon

And the Lord’s body soon became normal.

^Kd.8.1.34 Then Jīvaka Komārabhacca, taking that pair of Siveyyaka cloths, approached the Lord; having approached, having greeted the Lord, he sat down at a respectful distance. As he was sitting down at a respectful distance, Jīvaka Komārabhacca spoke thus to the Lord: “Lord, I ask one boon of the Lord.”

“Jīvaka, Truth-finders are beyond (granting) boons.”^[1]

“Lord, it is what is allowable and what is blameless.”

“Speak on, Jīvaka.”

“Lord, the Lord and the Order of monks are wearers of rag-robes.^[2] Lord, this pair of Siveyyaka cloths was sent me by King Pajjota; of many cloths, of many pairs of cloths, of many hundred pairs of cloths, of many thousand pairs of cloths, of many hundred thousand pairs of cloths, it is the chief and best and foremost and most excellent and loveliest. Lord, may the Lord accept my pair of Siveyyaka cloths, and may he allow householders’ robes^[3] to the Order of monks.” The Lord accepted the pair of Siveyyaka cloths. Then the Lord gladdened, rejoiced, roused, delighted Jīvaka Komārabhacca with dhamma-talk.^[4] And when Jīvaka Komārabhacca had been gladdened … delighted by the Lord with dhamma-talk, rising from his seat, greeting the Lord, he departed keeping his right side towards him.

^Kd.8.1.35 Then the Lord, on this occasion, having given dhamma-talk, addressed the monks, saying:

^BD.4.397 “I allow you, monks, householders’ robes. Whoever wishes may be a rag-robe wearer; whoever wishes may consent to (accept) householders’ robes.^[5] And I, monks, commend satisfaction with the one or the other.”^[6]

People in Rājagaha heard: ^Vin.1.281 “Householders’ robes are allowed to monks by the Lord,” and these people became joyful, elated, thinking: “Now we will give gifts, we will work merit,^[7] inasmuch as householders’ robes are allowed to monks by the Lord.” And in just one day many thousand robes were produced in Rājagaha.

Country-people heard: “Householders’ robes are allowed to monks by the Lord,” and these people became joyful and elated, thinking: ‘Now we will give gifts, we will work merit, inasmuch as householders’ robes are allowed to monks by the Lord.” And in just one day many thousand robes were produced in the country.

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^Kd.8.1.36 Now at that time a mantle^[8] accrued to the Order. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, a mantle.” A silk mantle accrued. “I allow you, monks, a silk mantle,” he said. A fleecy coverlet accrued.^[9] “I allow you, monks, a fleecy coverlet,” he said.

Told is the First Portion for Repeating.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

atikhantavarā. Cf. Vin.1.82, Vin.1.292. See above, BD.4.104.

[2]:

Vin-a.1119 says that neither the Lord during the twenty years since his attainment of enlightenment until this event happened, nor any monk, had accepted householders’ robes; all were rag-robe wearers.

[3]:

Vin-a.1119 makes the point that these were robes (or robe-material) given by householders.

[4]:

Vin-a.1119 says “with talk connected with the advantage of giving clothes”.

[5]:

Cf. Vin.3.172 (BD.1.298).

[6]:

itarītarena. Cf. Kd.8.3.2. Vin-a.1119 says “with one of little value, with one of great value, with whatever it is”. Thus Childers is, I think, right in understanding the phrase as “whether the robes are good or bad”, see Vinaya Texts ii.194, n.2.

[7]:

puññam karissāma. This literal translation best preserves the Indian notion of karma, kamma, deeds, actions, or working whose result is held to be either good or bad, meritorious or lacking in merit.

[8]:

pāvāra, or cloak. Word occurs at Ja.v.409. Vin-a.1119 says salomako kappāsikapāvāro, a cotton pāvāra with something woolly—loma being the wool or hair of an animal.

[9]:

kojava. Pali-English Dictionary gives a “rug or cover with long hair, a fleecy counterpane”, and Childers “a goat’s hair coverlet of fine workmanship,” (cf. Abhidhānappadīpa 312). Vin-a.1119 distinguishes between the ordinary kojava, meant here, and kojava which is mahāpiṭṭhiya, large at the back (?), and says that like a pāvāra it is made of wool. Word occurs again at Dhp-a.i.177, translated Burlingame, Buddhist Legends, i.259, “coverlet of goat’s hair”; and at Dhp-a.iii.297, as pāvārakojava, translated Buddhist Legends iii.96, “cloak and goats’ hair coverlet”. Kojava occurs in definition of goṇaka, a woollen cover with long fleece, at Vin-a.1086, DN-a.86, Thig-a.253, SN-a.ii.325.