BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Buddhist Monastic Code 1one obtains cloth through one's own resources, orone asks for the sake of another. (None of the texts state specifically whetheranother here includes only other bhikkhus, or bhikkhunīs and novices as well.We will assume that all co-religionists are covered under this exemption.)The Commentary explains that this last point means two things: One may ask forcloth for the sake of another (co-religionist) (1) from one's own relations or frompeople who have invited one to ask for cloth or (2) from the relatives of that (coreligionist)or from people who have invited him/her to ask. This point applies for allrules where one is allowed to ask for the sake of another.On the surface, it would seem that the allowance to ask for another should meanthat one should also be allowed to ask from anyone for the sake of another bhikkhuwhose robe has been snatched away or destroyed. However, the origin story to thefollowing rule shows why this is not so: Lay donors can be extremely generouswhen they learn that a bhikkhu's robes have been snatched away or destroyed, andit is important to place limits on how much cloth can be requested, and on howmany bhikkhus can do the requesting, so as not to take unfair advantage of thatgenerosity.As for obtaining cloth through one's own resources, the Sub-commentary notesthat one should be careful to do it in such a way as not to commit an offense underNP 20. Again, this applies to all rules that contain this exemption.Summary: Asking for and receiving robe-cloth from an unrelated lay person, exceptwhen one's robes have been snatched away or destroyed, is a nissaggiya pācittiyaoffense.7. If that unrelated man or woman householder presents the bhikkhuwith many robes (pieces of robe-cloth), he is to accept at most(enough for) an upper and a lower robe. If he accepts more than that,it is to be forfeited and confessed.This rule is a continuation of the preceding one, dealing with the protocol in askingfor robe-cloth when one's robes have been snatched away or destroyed. The originstory is as follows:"At that time some group-of-six bhikkhus, having approached bhikkhus whoserobes had been snatched away, said, 'Friends, the Blessed One has allowed thosewhose robes are snatched away or destroyed to ask an unrelated man or womanhouseholder for robe-cloth. Ask for robe-cloth, friends.'"'Never mind, friends. We have already received (enough) robe-cloth.'166