Vinaya — Regras dos Monges (Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga) — The training rule on keeping extra robe-cloth beyond ten days

1Venerables, these thirty rules on relinquishment and confession come up for recitation.

2First substory
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Vesālī at the Gotamaka Shrine, he allowed the three robes for the monks. When they heard about this, the monks from the group of six went to the village in one set of three robes, stayed in the monastery in another set, and went to bathe in yet another set. The monks of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can the monks from the group of six keep extra robes?”

3After rebuking those monks in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks: “Is it true, monks, that you do this?”

4“It’s true, sir.”

5The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how can you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

6Preliminary ruling
‘If a monk keeps an extra robe, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

7In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks.

8Second substory
Soon afterwards Venerable Ānanda was offered an extra robe. He wanted to give it to Venerable Sāriputta who was staying at Sāketa. Knowing that the Buddha had laid down a rule against having extra robes, Ānanda thought, “What should I do now?” He told the Buddha, who said, “How long is it, Ānanda, before Sāriputta returns?”

9“Nine or ten days.”

10Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “Monks, you should keep an extra robe for ten days at the most. And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

11Final ruling
‘When his robe is finished and the robe season has ended, a monk should keep an extra robe for ten days at the most. If he keeps it longer than that, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”

12Definitions
When his robe is finished:

13the monk has made a robe; or the robe-cloth has been lost, destroyed, or burned; or his expectation of receiving further robe-cloth is disappointed.

14The robe season has ended:

15it has ended according to one of the eight key phrases or the Sangha has ended it.

16For ten days at the most:

17it should be kept ten days at a maximum.

18An extra robe:

19it has not been determined nor assigned to another.

20Robe:

21one of the six kinds of robe-cloth, but not smaller than what can be assigned to another.

22If he keeps it longer than that, it becomes subject to relinquishment:

23it becomes subject to relinquishment at dawn on the eleventh day.

24The robe-cloth should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual. “And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. After approaching the Sangha, that monk should arrange his upper robe over one shoulder and pay respect at the feet of the senior monks. He should then squat on his heels, raise his joined palms, and say:

25‘Venerables, this robe-cloth, which I have kept over ten days, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’”

26After relinquishing it, he should confess the offense. The confession should be received by a competent and capable monk. The relinquished robe-cloth is then to be given back:

27“Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. This robe-cloth, which was to be relinquished by monk so-and-so, has been relinquished to the Sangha. If the Sangha is ready, it should give this robe-cloth back to monk so-and-so.”

28Or: after approaching several monks, that monk should arrange his upper robe over one shoulder and pay respect at the feet of the senior monks. He should then squat on his heels, raise his joined palms, and say:

29“Venerables, this robe-cloth, which I have kept over ten days, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to you.”

30After relinquishing it, he should confess the offense. The confession should be received by a competent and capable monk. The relinquished robe-cloth is then to be given back:

31“Please, venerables, I ask you to listen. This robe-cloth, which was to be relinquished by monk so-and-so, has been relinquished to you. If the venerables are ready, you should give this robe-cloth back to monk so-and-so.”

32Or: after approaching a single monk, that monk should arrange his upper robe over one shoulder, squat on his heels, raise his joined palms, and say:

33“This robe-cloth, which I have kept over ten days, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to you.”

34After relinquishing it, he should confess the offense. The confession should be received by that monk. The relinquished robe-cloth is then to be given back:

35“I give this robe-cloth back to you.”

36Permutations
If it is more than ten days and he perceives it as more, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is more than ten days, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is more than ten days, but he perceives it as less, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

37If it has not been determined, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been assigned to another, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been given away, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been lost, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been destroyed, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been burned, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been stolen, but he perceives that it has, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

38If he uses robe-cloth that should be relinquished without first relinquishing it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than ten days, but he perceives it as more, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than ten days, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than ten days and he perceives it as less, there is no offense.

39Non-offenses
There is no offense: if within ten days it has been determined, assigned to another, given away, lost, destroyed, burned, stolen, or taken on trust; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

40Soon afterwards the monks from the group of six did not give back relinquished robe-cloth. They told the Buddha.

41“Monks, relinquished robe-cloth should be given back. If you don’t give it back, you commit an offense of wrong conduct.”

42The training rule on keeping extra robe-cloth beyond ten days, the first, is finished.