Vinaya Pitaka (3): Khandhaka
by I. B. Horner | 2014 | 386,194 words | ISBN-13: 9781921842160
The English translation of the Khandhaka: the second book of the Pali Vinaya Pitaka, one of the three major ‘baskets’ of Therevada canonical literature. It is a collection of various narratives. The English translation of the Vinaya-pitaka (third part, khandhaka) contains many Pali original words, but transliterated using a system similar to the I...
On rejection of all dark green
Kd.8.29.1 Now at that time the group of six monks wore robes that were all dark green,[1] they wore robes that were all yellow, they wore robes that were all red, they wore robes that were all crimson, they wore robes that were all black, they wore robes that were all dyed brownish-yellow,[2] they wore robes that were all dyed reddish-yellow,[3] they wore robes with borders that were not cut up, they wore robes with long borders, they wore robes with borders of flowers, they wore robes with borders of snakes’ hoods, they wore jackets,[4] they wore (garments of) the Tirīṭa tree,[5] they wore turbans. People looked down upon, criticised, spread it about, saying: “Like householders who enjoy pleasures of the senses.” They told this matter to the Lord. He said:
“Monks, robes that are all dark green are not to be worn, robes that are all yellow are not to be worn … a jacket is not to be worn, (a garment made from) the Tirīṭa tree is not to be worn, a turban is not to be worn. Whoever should wear (one), there is an offence of wrong-doing.”
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
nīlaka, or blue; see BD.2.408, n.1, BD.2.408, n.2. For this sequence of colours cf. Vin.1.185 = Vin.2.267, and see Buddhaghosa’s explanations at Vin-a.1083. This passage, with the omission of the last item, recurs at Vin.2.267 for the group of six nuns.
[2]:
mahāraṅgaratta, Vin-a.1083 saying that it is the colour of a centipede’s back.
[3]:
mahānāmaratta, Vin-a.1083 saying that it is the colour of withered leaves, a mixed colour.
[4]:
kañcuka, cf. AN.i.145.
[5]:
tirīṭaka. Symplocos racemosa. Vin-a.1135 explains by rukkhachallimayaṃ taṃ pādapuñchanaṃ kātuṃ vaṭṭati, made of the bark of a tree, one can make a foot-towel of it. Cf. AN.i.295 where the wearing of this comes among the practices of the “self-tormentors”, or wasters-away.