Skip to content
True DhammaLibrary · Community
Bi NP 33 min read

3. Taking back a traded robe

Cīvaraparivattana

A nun who takes back a robe given in exchange to another nun must relinquish the robe and confess the offense.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2BhikkhunivibhaṅgaThe Nuns’ Analysis
  • 0.3NissaggiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on relinquishment
  • 0.4PattavaggaThe subchapter on almsbowls

0.53. CīvaraparivattanasikkhāpadaTaking back a traded robe

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.1.2Tena kho pana samayena thullanandā bhikkhunī aññatarāya bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattetvā paribhuñji.At that time the nun Thullanandā was using a robe she had received after trading with another nun.1.3Atha kho sā bhikkhunī taṁ cīvaraṁ saṅgharitvā nikkhipi.But the other nun folded up the robe she had received and put it aside.1.4Thullanandā bhikkhunī taṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca—Thullanandā then said to her,1.5PTS 4.247“yaṁ te, ayye, mayā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattitaṁ, kahaṁ taṁ cīvaran”ti?“Venerable, where’s that robe that I traded with you?”1.6Atha kho sā bhikkhunī taṁ cīvaraṁ nīharitvā thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā dassesi.She brought out the robe and showed it to her,1.7Thullanandā bhikkhunī taṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca—and Thullanandā said,1.8“handāyye, tuyhaṁ cīvaraṁ, āhara metaṁ cīvaraṁ, yaṁ tuyhaṁ tuyhamevetaṁ, yaṁ mayhaṁ mayhamevetaṁ, āhara metaṁ, sakaṁ paccāharā”ti acchindi.“Here’s your robe and give me that robe of mine. That which is yours is yours and that which is mine is mine. Give me that and take back what’s yours.” And she just took it.

1.9Atha kho sā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.That nun then told the nuns what had happened.1.10Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.11“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindissatī”ti.“How could Venerable Thullanandā trade a robe with a nun and then take it back?”1.12Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.Those nuns then told the monks,1.13Bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe…who in turn told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks:1.14“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindatī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”

1.15“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.16Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.17kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindissati.“How could the nun Thullanandā trade a robe with a nun and then take it back?1.18Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.19evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.20.0Final ruling

1.20.1“Yā pana bhikkhunī bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ parivattetvā sā pacchā evaṁ vadeyya—‘handāyye, tuyhaṁ cīvaraṁ āhara, metaṁ cīvaraṁ, yaṁ tuyhaṁ tuyhamevetaṁ, yaṁ mayhaṁ mayhamevetaṁ, āhara metaṁ, sakaṁ paccāharā’ti acchindeyya vā acchindāpeyya vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.‘If a nun trades robes with a nun and then says, “Here’s your robe; give me that robe of mine. That which is yours is yours, and that which is mine is mine. Give me that, and take back what’s yours;” and she just takes it or has it taken, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Yā panātiA:
2.1.2yā yādisā …pe…whoever …
2.1.3bhikkhunītiNun:
2.1.4…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.… The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case.
2.1.5Bhikkhuniyā saddhintiWith a nun:
2.1.6aññāya bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ.with another nun.
2.1.7Cīvaraṁ nāmaRobes:
2.1.8channaṁ cīvarānaṁ aññataraṁ cīvaraṁ vikappanupagaṁ pacchimaṁ.one of the six kinds of robe-cloth, but not smaller than what can be assigned to another.1
2.1.9ParivattetvātiTrades:
2.1.10parittena vā vipulaṁ, vipulena vā parittaṁ.much with little or little with much.
2.1.11AcchindeyyātiJust takes it:
2.1.12sayaṁ acchindati nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.if she just takes it herself, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
2.1.13AcchindāpeyyātiHas it taken:
2.1.14aññaṁ āṇāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.if she asks another, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.15Sakiṁ āṇattā bahukampi acchindati, nissaggiyaṁ hoti.If she only asks once, then even if the other takes back many, it becomes subject to relinquishment.2

2.1.16Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā ekabhikkhuniyā vā.The robe-cloth should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual nun.2.1.17Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ.“And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …”2.1.18…pe…(To be expanded as in <a href='https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bi-vb-np1#2.1.21'>Bi NP 1:2.1.21</a>–2.1.43, with appropriate substitutions.)

2.1.19“idaṁ me, ayye, cīvaraṁ bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ parivattetvā acchinnaṁ nissaggiyaṁ, imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe…“Venerables, this robe-cloth, which I took back after trading it with a nun, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” …2.1.20dadeyyā”ti …pe…“the Sangha should give …”2.1.21dadeyyun”ti …pe…“you should give …”2.1.22ayyāya dammī”ti.“I give this robe-cloth back to you.”

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Upasampannāya upasampannasaññā cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If the other person is fully ordained and she perceives her as such, and after trading robe-cloth with her she takes it back or has it taken back, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.2.2PTS 4.248Upasampannāya vematikā cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If the other person is fully ordained, but she is unsure of it, and after trading robe-cloth with her she takes it back or has it taken back, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.2.3Upasampannāya anupasampannasaññā cīvaraṁ parivattetvā acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If the other person is fully ordained, but she does not perceive her as such, and after trading robe-cloth with her she takes it back or has it taken back, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

2.2.4Aññaṁ parikkhāraṁ parivattetvā acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If she trades another requisite, and then takes it back or has it taken back, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.5Anupasampannāya saddhiṁ cīvaraṁ vā aññaṁ vā parikkhāraṁ parivattetvā acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If she trades robe-cloth or another requisite with someone who is not fully ordained, and then takes it back or has it taken back, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.6Anupasampannāya upasampannasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, but she perceives her as such, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.7Anupasampannāya vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.8Anupasampannāya anupasampannasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, and she does not perceive her as such, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2sā vā deti,if the other nun gives it back; 2.3.3tassā vā vissasantī gaṇhāti,if she takes it on trust from her; 2.3.4ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.3.5ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.3.6Tatiyasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The third training rule is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. The six are linen, cotton, silk, wool, sunn hemp, and hemp; see Kd 8:3.1.6. According to Kd 8:21.1.4 the size referred to here is no smaller than 8 by 4 sugataṅgula, “standard fingerbreadths”. For an explanation of sugata as “standard” and the idea of vikappanā, see Appendix of Technical Terms.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-np3:2.1.8
  2. “Many” renders bahukaṁ. This is based on the commentary to Bu Np 25, Sp 1.633: Āṇatto bahūni gaṇhāti, ekaṁ pācittiyaṁ, “If the one who is asked takes many, there is (only) one offense entailing confession.”

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-np3:2.1.15