On dying robes

^Kd.8.10.1 Now at that time monks ^Vin.1.286 dyed robe-material with dung^[1] and with yellow clay^[2]; the robe-material came to be a bad colour. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, six (kinds of) dyes: dye from roots, dye from stems,^[3] dye from bark, dye from leaves, dye from flowers, dye from fruits.”

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^Kd.8.10.2 Now at that time monks dyed robe-material with cold water;^[4] the robe-material came to smell nasty. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, a little dye-pot in which to boil the dye.”^[5] The dye was spilt.^[6] They told this matter to the Lord.^[7] He said: “I allow, you, monks, to arrange a basin (to prevent the dye from) spilling.”^{[8] BD.4.406} Now at that time the monks did not know whether the dye had boiled or had not (fully) boiled. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, to put a drop^[9] into water or on to the back of your nail.”

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^Kd.8.10.3 Now at that time monks, pouring out the dye, upset the pot; the pot was broken. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, a ladle for the dye, a scoop with a handle.” Now at that time the monks did not have a dye-vessel.^[10] They told this matter to the Lord. He said “I allow you, monks, a pitcher for the dye,^[11] a bowl for the dye.”^[12] Now at that time monks steeped robe-material in a dish^[13] and also in a bowl, the robe-material was split. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, a trough for the dye.”^[14]

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^Kd.8.11.1 Now at that time monks spread out robe-material on the ground; the robe-material became dusty. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, a grass matting.”^[15] The grass matting was eaten by white ants. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, a bamboo (for hanging up) robe-material, a cord for (hanging up) robe-material.” They hung it up^[16] by the middle; the dye dripped down^[17] on both sides. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, to fasten it at a corner.”^[18] The corner wore out. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, a corner- ^BD.4.407 thread.”^[19] The dye dripped down on one side. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks to dye it, turning it and turning it, and not to go away if the drips have not ceased.”^[20]

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^Kd.8.11.2 Now at that time robe-material became stiff.^[21] They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, to put it into water.” Now at that time robe-material became harsh. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, to beat it with the hands.” ^Vin.1.287

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Now at that time monks wore yellow robes, (the colour) of ivory,^[22] not cut up.^[23] People looked down, criticised, spread-it about, saying: “Like the householders who enjoy pleasures of the senses.” They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “Monks, robes that are not cut up are not to be worn. Whoever should wear one, there is an offence of wrong-doing.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

chakanenā ti gomayena, Vin-a.1126. Chakana allowed at Vin.1.202 to monks who are not ill for use on the body.

[2]:

paṇḍumattikā. Vin-a.1126 explains by tambamattikā, copper-coloured clay.

[3]:

mūla and khandha with bīja at Vin.4.34f.

[4]:

sītunnakāya, see Vinaya Texts ii.390 for variant readings also Sinhalese edition ii.343, sītundikāya. Vin-a.1126 says sītudakā ti apakkarajanaṃ vuccati, cold water means that it is called unboiled dye.

[5]:

rajanaṃ pacituṃ cullarajanahumbhin ti.

[6]:

uttariyati. Uttarati is to flow over (of water), to boil over.

[7]:

Omitted in text, inserted in Sinhalese edition

[8]:

uttarāḷumpaṃ bandhituṃ, variant readings uttarāḷumpakaṃ, uttarāḷavaṃ uttarāḷuvaṃ. Passage is somewhat obscure. Vinaya Texts ii.205 has “I prescribe that you put basins (under the dye-pots) to catch the spilt (dye)”. Vin-a.1126 reads uttarāḷuvan ti vaṭṭādhārakaṃ rajanakumbhiyā majjhe ṭhapetvā taṃ ādhārakaṃ parikkhipitvā rajanaṃ pakkhipituṃ anujānāmi ti attho. evaṃ hi kate rajanaṃ na uttarati, i.e. “uttarāḷuva means a round basin. The meaning is, ‘I allow you to put in the dye, having placed it middle of the dye-pot, having enclosed that basin; having done this, dye does not spill’.”

[9]:

thevakaṃ dātuṃ.

[10]:

rajanabhājana.

[11]:

rajanakolamba.

[12]:

rajanaghaṭa.

[13]:

pāti.

[14]:

rajanadoṇikā. At Vin.2.120 mattikādoṇikā are allowed; cf. udakadoṇikā at Vin.2.220.

[15]:

tiṇa-santhāraka; also allowed at Vin.2.113 to protect bowls set down on the ground.

[16]:

laggenti, cf. BD.2.130, n.5.

[17]:

galati; cf. BD.2.130, n.6.

[18]:

kaṇṇa. See Vin.1.51, where the way in which one who shares a cell is to hang up his preceptor’s robe is briefly described.

[19]:

kaṇṇasuttaka, a thread or line, “a string from corner to corner, a clothes line”, so Pali-English Dictionary. This must differ therefore from rajju, “a rope”, above, so that possibly rajju there is in sense of “wicker”, thus in substance not differing greatly from vaṃsa, bamboo. But more likely kaṇṇasuttaka means a thread put in at the corner of the robe to prevent the corner from wearing out; previously the monks had hung up the robe-material at the middle, i.e. they had hung it over the rajju and vaṃsa, so that the dye dripped down at both sides of these. If kaṇṇasuttaka were really a “clothes line,” surely the dye would still run down at both sides; but hanging something up by its corner would cause dye to run down at one side only. These allowances seem to be framed so as to prevent drops and splashes of dye spoiling the appearance of the place.

[20]:

na ca acchinne theve pakhamituṃ. Vin-a.1126 says that he is not to go elsewhere until the dripping drops of dye have been cut off (ceased). Cf. the same expression at Vin.1.50, Vin.1.53, Vin.2.227, Vin.2.230.

[21]:

patthinna, Vin-a.1126 says that it was hard from too much dye, too full (of dye).

[22]:

dantakāsāvāni. Vin-a.1127 says “dyeing them once or twice, they wore them the colour of ivory (dantavaṇṇāni).”

[23]:

acchinnakāni, or untorn. See above, BD.4.356, n.4, and next paragraph below.