English
May there be among ten thousands of priests a single person who is attentive to my words! , F The skirt (nivasa) worn in India is put crosswise round the lower part of one’s body. The white soft cloth of India, used as a skirt, is two cubits wide, or sometimes half the width (i.e. one cubit), The poor cannot obtain this cloth, (so much as a regular skirt requires). (To save expense) one may join and stitch both edges of the cloth, and open and put one’s legs through, it will answer the purpose. All the rules of wearing the garment are found in the Vinaya texts. I have briefly described only the important points. A minute discussion can gnly be made when we see one another. (fst all the garments of a homeless priest must be dyed to ‘Kan-da (i.e. yellow colour). The dye may be prepared from Ti-huang (Rehmannia glutinosa), yellow powder, or a thorny Nieh-tree (Pterocarpus indicus). These dyes, however, are to bé mixed with the colours made of red earth or red stone-powder. One should see that the colour is not too deep or too light. To save expense, one may use only dates, red earth, red stone- powder, wild pear, or T‘u-tzii (earth-purple). The cloth may be worn out in dying with these dyes, but not so much as one needs to get another one, : The dye prepared from mulberry bark, and blue and green colours are prohibited. The true purple and dark brown are not adopted in the West. ) As to ome and sandals, there are some rules laid down by the Buddha. Long shoes or sandals with linings are against the rules. Anything that is embroidered or ornamented the Buddha did not allow to-be used. It is minutely explained in the ‘ Rules about Leathers%,’ * Kan-da, or Gan-da, seems to be a Sanskrit word, see p. 46, note 1 above, * [-tsing translated this text belonging to the Vinaya ; it only exists imthe Korean collection. Mah4vagga V is devoted to the rules concerning the foot-clothing, &c. ~ ; 728 A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. ~ XU. % s “ CHAPTER XII. ‘RULES CONCERNING THE NUN’S DRESS AND FUNERAL. THE Chinese dress of the nuns is that of ordinary women, and the existing mode of wearfng it is much against the proper rules. According to the Vinaya, there are five garments for a nun (Bhikshuzt). & 1. Sanghaz. “ 2. Uttardsariga. 3. Antarvasa. 4. Safkakshika. 5. A Skirt. (Cf. p. 55 above.) The style and rules of the first four are the same as those of the elder (male) members of the Sangha, but a part of the skirt is different. In Sanskrit a nun’s skirt is called ‘Kusfilaka, which is translated by the ‘bin-like garment,’ for the shape is like a small bin (Kusdla), both ends “of it being sewn together ; its length is four cubits, while its width is two. It may cover as far up as the navel, and comes down as low as four fingers above the ankles. In wearing, one should put one’s legs through, and pull it up past one’s navel. Contracting the top of the skirt round the waist, one should tie it at one’s back. The rules and measures of the band or ribbons of a nun are the same , as those of a priest. At her chest and sides there must not be any. ties or clothes. : But when her breasts become very high and large, be she young or old, some cloth may be used without a It is wrong if she does not observe the*rules because she is ashamed . (of her being bare-breasted) before men, or if she decorates herself extravagantly, and thereby incurs guilt in every way. At the death of such a guilty person, the sins (that adhere to her) will be as drizzling rain (so many); if she has even one offence out of many, she should make it good at once. When she is out-of-doors or before a priest, or when she is invited to a layman’s house to a feast, her Kashaya must always be sxound her neck, and cover her body ; the shoulder-ribbon of the Kashaya 5 is not to be untied. During the meal she must not have her chest bare, RULES CONCERNING NUN’S DRESS AND FUNERAL. vis) but with her hands coming out from under (the Kashdya), Wearing.a Sankakshika!, having one shoulder bare or having a shirt or trousers are prohibited by the Great Sage himself, and these must not be had by. the nuns. ] : In all the countries of the Southern Sea, the nuns have a special garment, which, though not in accordance with the Indian style, is also called Sankakshika. It is two cubits each way: The edges of it are sewn together except a foot at the centre; the corners are (turned back) an inch and stitched fast. In wearing this, one holds it up and puts one’s head and shoulders through, having the right shoulder wholly. out of it. No waist-band is used. It covers one’s sides, breasts, navel, and knees. If one wishes to wear it, one can do so without fault. The cloth is lined with only two ribbons ; it is good enough to cover the shame. But if one does not like to wear it, one should wear a regular Sankakshika, similar to that of a great Bhikshu (male mendicant). While one is in the monastery or in one’s own rooms, a Kusilaka and a Safkakshika will be-sufficient: : ; (Note by I-tsing): In examining the Indian texts I never met with the name of ‘ shoulder-covering cloth ;’ the original is Sankakshika, which is sometimes shortened to Ki-chi in Chinese. It is not called a ‘skirt,’ but translations of this name were hitherto various. One shoud reject a garment which is against the rules and wear one which is strictly according to the teaching. A Sankakshika is made of the whole width and a half of a stuff, either silk or linen, four or five - cubits in length. It is worn over one’s shoulders, just as one wears ‘the five-lined’ garment. In all places one should sufficiently cover the shame ; even in a urinal,one must not have one’s shoulders bare. This garment is to*be worn in spring and summer, and warmer clothing can be used in autumn and winter if one likes. Begging food with a bowl one can sufficiently support one’s body. If one, though a female, has a powerful mind, she need not engage 1 This seems to be contradictory to what he said before, for at the beginning of this chapter I-tsing mentioned Sankakshika as one of the nun’s dresses, Perhaps, he meant here a Chinese one, which is different from that of India.. 80 A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. XIL in shuttle and loom, nor do ordinary (household) works; much less does she need to wear many garments, now five, now ten. There are some who never think of meditation (Dhy4na) or reading, ~ever hastening onward driven by earthly desires. There are others who make much of ornament and dress, not caring for the precepts (Sila). All these persons are liable to an examination by the lay followers. . Nuns in India are very different from those of China. They suppo themselves by begging food, and live a poor and simple life. : Here a question may be asked: ‘The benefit and supply to the female members of the Order are very small, and monasteries of many a place have no special supply of food for them. This being the case,t there will be no way of living if they do not work for their maintenance ;! and if they do so, they often act against the Vinaya teaching and disobey the noble will of the Buddha. How should they decide for themselves as to taking one course and rejecting the other? When once one’s body is at ease, one’s religion prospers. Pray, let us hear your judgement on these points (lit. right or wrong).’ I answer this question as follows: ‘One’s original intention was to become homeless, with the purpose of attaining the “final liberation” (Moksha). To cut off the injurious roots of the three (poisonous) trees}, and to dam the vast volume of the four rolling streams?; one should accomplish the “Dhdta” practices and avoid the dangerous path of suffering and enjoyment; with one’s mind sincere, and with one’s desires suppressed, one should pursue the true path of quietness: Religion will prosper by one’s observing the precepts (Sila) night and day. If one thinks only of having one’s body at ease, one is in the wrong. When one is strict in practice and sincere in conduct in accordance with the Vinaya teaching, one is followed and honoured by dragons (naga), spirits, devas, and men. Why should one, then, be so anxious about one’s livelihood and follow the vain labour (of the worldly course).’ The five garments, a pot, and a bowl are enough for the nuns to subsist upon ; and a small apartment is sufficient to maintain their lives, * Le. greed, hate, and stupidity ; otherwise called ‘three poisons.’ * Le. earthly desire, the state of being, erroneous view, and ignorance; other- a Pee ee ee ee RULES CONCERNING NUN’S DRESS AND FUNERAL. 81 Personal possessions can be diminished and the troubles of the lay devotees can thus be avoided; they can be pure like a precious stone lying in the mud or a lotus-flower in water, gnd thus their life, though called a low one, is, in reality, a life of wisde™s that is equal to that of an exalted person. At the time of ¢heir parents’ death, Bhikshus or Bhikshuyis do not always use sufficient care in a funeral service or have the same mourning as common people, and yet consider themselves to be dutiful children. Some prepare a shrine for the dead in their rooms, and make offerings or spread out a coloured cloth to show that they are in mourning. Others keep their hair unshaven, contrary to the usual practice, or carry a mourning-stick or sleep on a straw mat. All these practices are ‘ net the Buddha’s teaching, and one can well omit them without fault. What one ought to do is as follows :—First purify and decorate one room for the departed or sometimes put up some (small) canopies or curtains temporarily, and offer perfumes and flowers, while reading S@tras and meditating on the Buddha. One should wish that the departed spirit may be born in a good place.