On when a robe becomes the Saṅgha’s

^Kd.8.24.1 Now at that time a certain monk spent the rains alone. People there, saying, “We are giving for an Order,” gave robes. Then it occurred to that monk: “It is laid down by the Lord that the least Order is fourfold,^[1] but I am solitary, and these ^Vin.1.299 people, saying, ‘We are giving for an Order gave robes. What now if I should convey these robes belonging to an Order to Sāvatthī?” Then that monk, taking those robes, having gone to Sāvatthī, told this matter to the Lord. He said: “These robes, monk, are for you yourself^[2] until the removal ^BD.4.427 of the kaṭhina (privileges).^[3]

^Kd.8.24.2 “This is a case, monks,^[4] where a monk is spending the rains alone. People there, saying, ‘We are giving for an Order’ give robes. I allow, monks, those robes (to be) for him himself until the removal of the kaṭhina (privileges).”

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^Kd.8.24.3 Now at that time a certain monk spent a favourable time of year^[5] alone. People there, saying: “We are giving for an Order,” gave robes. Then it occurred to that monk: “It is laid down by the Lord that the least Order is fourfold, but I am solitary, and these people, saying, ‘We are giving for an Order’, gave robes. What now if I should convey these robes belonging to an Order to Sāvatthī?” Then that monk, taking those robes, having gone to Sāvatthī, told this matter to the monks. The monks told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow you, monks, to distribute (these robes) to the Order that is present.

^Kd.8.24.4 “This is a case, monks, where a monk is spending a favourable time (of year) alone. People there, saying, ‘We are giving for an Order’, give robes. I allow, monks, that monk to allot^[6] those robes, saying: ‘These robes are for me.’ If, monks, that monk does not allot that robe-material^[7] (and) another monk comes, an equal portion should be given (to him). If, monks, the kusa-lot was not cast while that robe-material was being distributed by those monks (and) another monk comes, an equal portion should be given (to him). If monks, the kusa-lot was cast while that robe-material was being distributed by those monks (and) another monk comes, a portion need not be given (to him) if they are not willing.”^[8]

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^Kd.8.24.5 Now at that time two brothers who were elders, the venerable Isidāsa^[9] and the venerable Isibhatta,^[10] having spent the rains ^BD.4.428 at Sāvatthī, went to a certain village-residence. People, saying: “It is long since the elders came (here),” gave food with robes. The resident monks asked the elders:

“Honoured sirs, thanks to the elders, these robes belonging to the Order, have accrued. Let the elders consent (to accept) a portion.” The elders spoke thus:

“In so far as we, your reverences, understand dhamma as taught by the Lord, these robes are for you yourselves until the removal of the kaṭhina (privileges).”

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^Kd.8.24.6 Now at that time three monks were spending the rains in Rājagaha. People there, saying: “We are giving for an Order,” gave robes. Then it occurred to these monks: ^Vin.1.300 “It is laid down by the Lord that the least Order is fourfold, but we are three persons, and these people, saying, ‘We are giving for an Order’, gave robes. Now what line of conduct should be followed by us?” Now at that time several elders, the venerable Nilavāsin^[11] and the venerable Sāṇavāsin^[12] and the venerable Gopaka and the venerable Bhagu^[13] and the venerable Phalikasandāna, were staying at Pāṭaliputta^[14] in the Cock’s monastery.^[15] Then these monks, having gone to Pāṭaliputta, asked the elders. The elders spoke thus: “In so far as we understand dhamma as taught by the Lord, it is that these robes are for you yourselves until the removal of the kaṭhina (privileges).”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

At Vin.1.319 five kinds of saṅghas, classified by the number of their members, are given together with the official acts that each might perform.

[2]:

tuyh’ eva, just for you.

[3]:

See Bu-NP.1, Bu-NP.2, Bu-NP.3.

[4]:

Although the preceding sentence ends with iti, it appears from the vocative bhikkhave, no less than from the anujānāmi, just below, that Gotama is regarded as still addressing the monks.

[5]:

utukāla. Vin-a.1130 says “another time than the rains”. At Vin.2.167 utukāla stands in opposition to “the three months of the rains”. AN.iv.138 discriminates between three seasons: gimha, the hot weather, vassa, the rains, and hemanta, the cold weather. Utukāla above doubtless means a time of year that was not the rains, thus balancing the preceding paragraphs.

[6]:

See above, Kd.8.20.2.

[7]:

Singular here; plural above.

[8]:

Cf. Kd.16.11.3.

[9]:

Mentioned apparently nowhere but here, see Dictionary of Pali Proper Names.

[10]:

Mentioned apparently nowhere but here, see Dictionary of Pali Proper Names.

[11]:

Mentioned apparently nowhere but here, see Dictionary of Pali Proper Names.

[12]:

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names says “an epithet of Sambhūta thera”. Vinaya Texts ii.238, n.1 thinks he is probably the same as the Sāṇavāsī who took part in the Council of Vesālī.

[13]:

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names in its account of a Bhagu thera thinks that this one “is probably a different person” from the Bhagu of Vin.1.350, etc.

[14]:

Or Patna, the capital of Magadha before Asoka’s time. See above, BD.4.312; DN.ii.87; Buddhist India, p.262; B.C. Law, Geography of Early Buddhism, p.10, p.11; C.H.I.i.189.

[15]:

Kukkuṭārāma. Referred to at SN.v.15ff., SN.v.171; AN.iii.57; AN.v.342 = MN.i.349. There was another ārāma of the same name at Kosambī, built by a seṭṭhi. It would have been an odd coincidence if the Pāṭaliputta one had also been built by a seṭṭhi, as Buddhaghosa says at MN-a.iii.13 and also in Commentary on AN.v.342 (see GS.v.220, n.2). C.H.I.i.189 observes that Asoka is said to have built a monastery on the site of the Kukkaṭārāma; cf. C.H.I i.501, C.H.I.i.518.