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Bu Pc 912 min read

91. Making an oversize rainy-season robe

Vassikasāṭikā

A monk who makes a rainy-season robe that is too large must cut it down and confess the offense.

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

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2MahāvibhaṅgaThe Great Analysis
  • 0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
  • 0.4RatanavaggaThe subchapter on precious things

0.591. VassikasāṭikāsikkhāpadaMaking an oversize rainy-season robe

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 bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ vassikasāṭikā anuññātā hoti.he allowed rainy-season robes for the monks.1.3Chabbaggiyā bhikkhū—1.4“bhagavatā vassikasāṭikā anuññātā”ti appamāṇikāyo vassikasāṭikāyo dhārenti.Knowing this, the monks from the group of six wore rainy-season robes that were inappropriate in size.1.5Puratopi pacchatopi ākaḍḍhantā āhiṇḍanti.As they were walking about, they were dragging them along, both in front and behind.

1.6Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks,1.7“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū appamāṇikāyo vassikasāṭikāyo dhāressantī”ti …pe…“How can the monks from the group of six wear such rainy-season robes?” …1.8“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, appamāṇikāyo vassikasāṭikāyo dhārethā”ti?“Is it true, monks, that you do this?”

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

1.10Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.11kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, appamāṇikāyo vassikasāṭikāyo dhāressatha.“Foolish men, how can you do this?1.12Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.13evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.14.0Final ruling

1.14.1“Vassikasāṭikaṁ pana bhikkhunā kārayamānena pamāṇikā kāretabbā.‘If a monk is having a rainy-season robe made, it should be made the right size.1.15Tatridaṁ pamāṇaṁ—dīghaso cha vidatthiyo, sugatavidatthiyā; tiriyaṁ aḍḍhateyyā.This is the right size: six standard handspans long and two-and-a-half wide.11.16Taṁ atikkāmayato chedanakaṁ pācittiyan”ti.If it exceeds that, it is to be cut down, and he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

2.0Definitions

2.1PTS 4.173Vassikasāṭikā nāmaA rainy-season robe:
2.2vassānassa catumāsatthāya.it is for use during the four months of the rainy season.
2.3KārayamānenātiIs having made:
2.4karonto vā kārāpento vā. Pamāṇikā kāretabbā.making it himself or having it made, it should be made to the right size.2.5Tatridaṁ pamāṇaṁ— dīghaso cha vidatthiyo, sugatavidatthiyā; tiriyaṁ aḍḍhateyyā.This is the right size: six standard handspans long and two and a half wide.2.6Taṁ atikkāmetvā karoti vā kārāpeti vā, payoge dukkaṭaṁ.If he makes one or has one made that exceeds that, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct.2.7Paṭilābhena chinditvā pācittiyaṁ desetabbaṁ.When he gets it, it is to be cut down, and he is then to confess an offense entailing confession.

2.8.0Permutations

2.8.1Attanā vippakataṁ attanā pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If he finishes what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.9Attanā vippakataṁ parehi pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If he has others finish what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.10Parehi vippakataṁ attanā pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If he finishes himself what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.11Parehi vippakataṁ parehi pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If he has others finish what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.12Aññassatthāya karoti vā kārāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If he makes one or has one made for the benefit of someone else, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.13Aññena kataṁ paṭilabhitvā paribhuñjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If he gets one that was made by someone else and then uses it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.14.0Non-offenses

2.14.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.15pamāṇikaṁ karoti,if he makes it the right size; 2.16ūnakaṁ karoti,if he makes it smaller than the right size; 2.17aññena kataṁ pamāṇātikkantaṁ paṭilabhitvā chinditvā paribhuñjati,if he gets one made by another that exceeds the right size and then cuts it down before using it; 2.18vitānaṁ vā bhūmattharaṇaṁ vā sāṇipākāraṁ vā bhisiṁ vā bibbohanaṁ vā karoti,if he makes a canopy, a floor cover, a cloth screen, a mattress, or a pillow; 2.19ummattakassa,if he is insane; 2.20ādikammikassāti.if he is the first offender.

2.21Vassikasāṭikāsikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ navamaṁ.The training rule on making an oversize rainy-season robe, the ninth, is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. For an explanation of rendering sugata as “standard”, see Appendix of Technical Terms.

    ↩ pli-tv-bu-vb-pc91:1.15