0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
0.2MahāvibhaṅgaThe Great Analysis
0.3NissaggiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on relinquishment
0.4PattavaggaThe subchapter on almsbowls

0.525. CīvaraacchindanasikkhāpadaTaking back robe-cloth in anger

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,1.2Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā upanando sakyaputto bhātuno saddhivihārikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca—Venerable Upananda the Sakyan said to his brother’s student,1.3“ehāvuso, janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmā”ti.“Come, let’s go wandering the country.”

1.4“Nāhaṁ, bhante, gamissāmi;“I can’t, venerable,1.5dubbalacīvaromhī”ti.my robes are worn out.”

1.6“Ehāvuso, ahaṁ te cīvaraṁ dassāmī”ti“I’ll give you a robe.”1.7tassa cīvaraṁ adāsi.And he gave him a robe.

1.8Assosi kho so bhikkhu—Soon afterwards that monk heard1.9“bhagavā kira janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissatī”ti.that the Buddha was about to go wandering the country.1.10Atha kho tassa bhikkhuno etadahosi—He thought,1.11“na dānāhaṁ āyasmatā upanandena sakyaputtena saddhiṁ janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmi, bhagavatā saddhiṁ janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmī”ti.“Now I’ll go wandering with the Buddha instead.”1.12Atha kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca—Then, when Upananda said,1.13“ehi dāni, āvuso, janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmā”ti.“Let’s go,”1.14“Nāhaṁ, bhante, tayā saddhiṁ janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmi, bhagavatā saddhiṁ janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissāmī”ti.he replied, “I’m not going with you, but with the Buddha.”

1.15“Yampi tyāhaṁ, āvuso, cīvaraṁ adāsiṁ, mayā saddhiṁ janapadacārikaṁ pakkamissatī”ti,“Well, that robe I gave you is going with me,”1.16kupito anattamano acchindi.and he just took it back in anger.

1.17Atha kho so bhikkhu bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.That monk told other monks what had happened.1.18Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—And the monks of few desires complained and criticized Upananda,1.19“kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto bhikkhussa sāmaṁ cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindissatī”ti.“How could Venerable Upananda give away a robe and then take it back in anger?”

1.20PTS 3.255Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe…After rebuking him in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks:1.21“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, upananda, bhikkhussa sāmaṁ cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindī”ti?“Is it true, Upananda, that you did this?”

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

1.23Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked him …1.24kathañhi nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, bhikkhussa sāmaṁ cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindissasi.“Foolish man, how could you do this?1.25Netaṁ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.26evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.27.0Final ruling

1.27.1“Yo pana bhikkhu bhikkhussa sāmaṁ cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindeyya vā acchindāpeyya vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk himself gives a robe to a monk, but then, in anger, takes it back or has it taken back, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

2.0Definitions

2.1Yo panātiA:: 2.2yo yādiso …pe…whoever …
2.3bhikkhūtiMonk:: 2.4…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.… The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.
2.5BhikkhussātiTo a monk:: 2.6aññassa bhikkhussa.to another monk.
2.7SāmantiHimself:: 2.8sayaṁ datvā.he himself has given it.
2.9Cīvaraṁ nāmaA robe:: 2.10channaṁ cīvarānaṁ aññataraṁ cīvaraṁ, vikappanupagaṁ pacchimaṁ.one of the six kinds of robe-cloth, but not smaller than what can be assigned to another.¹
2.11Kupito anattamanotiIn anger:: 2.12anabhiraddho āhatacitto khilajāto.discontent, having hatred, hostile.
2.13AcchindeyyātiTakes back:: 2.14sayaṁ acchindati, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.if he takes it back himself, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
2.15AcchindāpeyyātiHas taken back:: 2.16aññaṁ āṇāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.if he asks another, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.17Sakiṁ āṇatto bahukampi acchindati, nissaggiyaṁ hoti.If he only asks once, then even if the other takes back many, it becomes subject to relinquishment.²

2.18Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā.The robe-cloth should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual.2.19Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ.“And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …”2.20…pe…(To be expanded as in <a href='https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bu-vb-np1#3.2.5'>Bu NP 1:3.2.5</a>–3.2.29, with appropriate substitutions.)

2.21“idaṁ me, bhante, cīvaraṁ bhikkhussa sāmaṁ datvā acchinnaṁ nissaggiyaṁ imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe…“Venerables, this robe-cloth, which I took back after giving it to a monk, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.” …2.22dadeyyāti …pe…“the Sangha should give …”2.23dadeyyunti …pe…“you should give …”2.24āyasmato dammīti.“I give this robe-cloth back to you.”

2.25.0Permutations

2.25.1Upasampanne upasampannasaññī cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If the other person is fully ordained and he perceives them as such, and after giving them robe-cloth, he takes it back in anger or has it taken back, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.26Upasampanne vematiko cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If the other person is fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, and after giving them robe-cloth, he takes it back in anger or has it taken back, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.2.27Upasampanne anupasampannasaññī cīvaraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.If the other person is fully ordained, but he does not perceive them as such, and after giving them robe-cloth, he takes it back in anger or has it taken back, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

2.28Aññaṁ parikkhāraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, after giving them another requisite, he takes it back in anger or has it taken back, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.29Anupasampannassa cīvaraṁ vā aññaṁ vā parikkhāraṁ datvā kupito anattamano acchindati vā acchindāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, after giving robe-cloth or another requisite to a person who is not fully ordained, he takes it back in anger or has it taken back, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.30Anupasampanne upasampannasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, but he perceives them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.31Anupasampanne vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.32Anupasampanne anupasampannasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, and he does not perceive them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.33.0Non-offenses

2.33.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.34so vā deti,if the other person gives it back;2.35tassa vā vissasanto gaṇhāti,if he takes it on trust from them;³2.36ummattakassa,if he is insane;2.37ādikammikassāti.if he is the first offender.

2.38Cīvaraacchindanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ pañcamaṁ.The training rule on taking back robe-cloth in anger, the fifth, is finished.

25. Taking back robe-cloth in anger