English
upon receipt, it is nissaggiya. In Rājagaha, concerning the group of six bhikkhus, it was laid down regarding the matter of having robes woven, a general precept, not requiring an order, for one who has yarn requested woven by a requested weaver, when it is woven to the length of a span and the width of a cubit, it is nissaggiya pācittiya. Thus, as long as the robe grows, so do the offenses grow by this measure. However, for one who has yarn obtained without request woven, just as before it was nissaggiya, so here it is dukkaṭa. For one who has both requested and unrequested yarn woven, if the robe is like a field divided by the stated measure, in the section made of unallowable yarn, it is pācittiya, in the other, it is dukkaṭa as before. If the sections are smaller than that, in all sections, it is only dukkaṭa. Or if it is woven with alternating yarn, making the length allowable and the width unallowable, by the calculation of the previously stated measure, there are dukkaṭas. By this same method, with an allowable weaver and unallowable yarn, and with allowable and unallowable weavers and yarn, whether allowable, unallowable, or mixed, the distinction of offenses should be understood. A triple pācittiya, for one who perceives it as woven when it is not woven, or for one who is in doubt, it is dukkaṭa. For one who requests yarn for the purpose of sewing robes, making a body-band, a shoulder-strap, a bowl-bag, or a water-strainer, for one who has allowable yarn woven by relatives or those who have offered, for the sake of another, with one's own wealth, and for the insane and so forth, there is no offense. Yarn requested for a robe, being for oneself, having it woven by an unallowable weaver with an unallowable request, these are the three factors here. The origins and so forth are as stated in the precept concerning having things washed. The explanation of the precept on requesting yarn is finished. 7. The explanation of the precept on the great weaver. In the seventh, 'if that bhikkhu there' means, wherever there are weavers, in a village or a town, there. 'Not previously invited' means not invited by the robe-owner. Having been (thus). One should fall into an alteration, meaning, one should fall into a special arrangement, an additional regulation. Now, to show in what manner one falls into alteration, "this, friends," and so on, was said. Therein, "āyata" means long. "Vitthata" means broad. "Appita" means dense. "Suvīta" means well-woven, woven evenly in all places. "Suppavāyita" means well-spread, spread evenly on the loom in all places. "Suvilekhita" means well-marked with a marking-tool. "Suvitacchita" means well-trimmed with a brush, meaning well-cleaned. Even a mere alms-food offering: here, it does not become an offense of relinquishment for the bhikkhu merely by the offering of alms-food. But if they, at his word, taking thread from the hands of the robe-owners, make it even slightly long, or broad, or dense, then due to their action, there is an offense of wrong-doing for the bhikkhu; upon receiving it, it becomes an offense of relinquishment. Enacted in Sāvatthī concerning Upananda, regarding the matter of falling into an alteration concerning a robe, a general enactment, not requiring an order, a three-fold pācittiya, for one who perceives a relative as a non-relative, or is in doubt, there is an offense of wrong-doing. For weavers who are relatives and have been invited, or for the sake of another, or with one's own wealth, for one who wishes to have an expensive one woven but has a cheap one woven, and for the insane and so on, there is no offense. Approaching weavers who are non-relatives and uninvited, and falling into an alteration, the robe being intended for oneself, the thread being increased at his word, and the receipt of the robe— these are the four factors here. The origins and so on are as stated in the rule concerning washing. The commentary on the training rule concerning the great weaver is finished. 8. Commentary on the training rule concerning an urgent robe In the eighth, "dasāhānāgata" means "dasa ahāni" (ten days) is "dasāha" (a decade), by that decade, "anāgatā" (not yet arrived) is "dasāhānāgatā" (not yet arrived by ten days), meaning not yet reached by ten days, that "dasāhānāgata" is a locative usage by way of absolute connection. "Kattikatemāsikapuṇṇama" means the first full moon of Kattika, here too, of the first word, 'a' Non-use, in the former way, is a word for use in the locative sense. This is said: From the time the first invitation is called "ten days hence," even if during those days an emergency robe arises for a bhikkhu, knowing "this is an emergency," the bhikkhu should accept it all. Thereby, the storage period for a robe arising from the fifth day of the bright half of the invitation month is shown. Although this is established by "an extra robe should be kept for a maximum of ten days," yet, by way of the origin story, the rule was laid down as if showing a new meaning. An emergency robe is that given by one of a traveler, a sick person, a pregnant woman, or a newly faithful person, having announced thus: "I will give a rain-residence robe." If it is distributed before the invitation, by whom it is received, by him the rain-residence break should not be made. If he does, that robe becomes communal. "Until the robe season" means: when the kathina is not spread, until the last month of the rains; when the kathina is spread, until five months. It should be stored until then. It was laid down in Sāvatthī, concerning several bhikkhus, regarding the matter of exceeding the robe season for an emergency robe. The rest here should be understood in the same way as stated in the first rule of the Robe Chapter. The explanation of the rule on emergency robes is finished. 9. Explanation of the Doubtful Rule. In the ninth (rule), "upavassaṃ kho pana" here, "upavassaṃ" means "having resided," "having stayed." Like in "upasampajjanti" and so on (Vibh. 570), the nasalization here should be understood. The meaning is: having gone to the rains and having resided. And this word is connected with "a bhikkhu dwelling in such dwellings." This is said: Having gone to the rains and having resided, and thereafter, until the end of the last Katthika full moon, whatever forest dwellings... ... (ellipsis indicates omitted text) ... ... he might place inside the house. There, "forest dwellings" means the very last (part of a word, likely "āropanāni"). Dwellings are made in a place of five hundred bow-lengths, measured with the teacher's bow, starting from the village's main pillar. But if the village is not enclosed, it should be measured starting from the place worthy of enclosure. If there is an enclosure for the monastery, or for an unenclosed one, up to the first dwelling, or shrine, or Bodhi tree, or permanent assembly place from the village, that should be measured by the usual path. To make another path, or to measure by a non-path, is not allowed. "Considered dangerous" means by seeing places where thieves and the like have settled, they are considered "dangerous." This is the meaning of "thus known." "With fear" means "dangerous," by seeing people killed, plundered, or beaten by thieves, it means there is strong, imminent danger. "He may deposit it within the village" means he may deposit it in a village he likes for alms-round, in all directions around the forest dwelling. And that, indeed, with the fulfillment of conditions. Here are the conditions: He has approached the former and made the great invitation. This is one condition. It is the month of Kattika. This is the second condition. The dwelling is within the limit of five hundred bow-lengths. This is the third condition. It is not allowed if it is less than the measure, or more than a gāvuta. Where indeed, after going for alms and eating, one can return to the monastery, that is what is intended here. It is indeed dangerous and fearful. This is the fourth condition. "For some reason" means some kind of reason. "With that robe" means with that robe deposited within the village. "For separation" means for dwelling apart. "If he dwells apart beyond that" means he causes the seventh dawn to rise in that dwelling, beyond six nights. But if he cannot do so, it is allowed for him to enter the village boundary, dwell in an assembly hall or wherever, know the condition of the robe, and then depart. "Except by the bhikkhu's permission" means that which the Sangha permits for a sick bhikkhu to dwell apart from his robe. what he gives, apart from that, for one who has not received permission, if he stays away for more than six nights, it is to be relinquished. It was laid down in Sāvatthī concerning many bhikkhus, regarding the case of staying away from the robe, and the rest here should be understood in the same way as stated in the second training rule of the Robe Chapter. The commentary on the training rule concerning doubt is finished. 10. Commentary on the training rule concerning what has been designated In the tenth, "belonging to the Sangha" means what belongs to the Sangha. For even if it has not come into his hand, by one way, it belongs to the Sangha because it has been designated for the Sangha. "Gain" means an object such as a robe that is to be obtained. "Designated" means that it has become inclined towards the Sangha, either by a verbal declaration like "we will give, we will make," or by a hand gesture. "Should appropriate for himself" means that by saying things like "give this to me," he would make it inclined towards himself. But if it has been given to the Sangha, it is not proper to take it; it must be given to the Sangha. However, for one who appropriates for himself what has been designated for co-dhamma followers or for lay people, or even what belongs to his mother, there is a dukkata by the act, and by obtaining it, it is to be relinquished.