BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

The Bowl Chapter Chapter 7.3Forfeiture & confession. A bhikkhu under these conditions who has been away fromhis robe for seven dawns is to forfeit it and confess the offense. The procedures forforfeiture, confession, and return of the robe are the same as under NP 1. The Paliformula for forfeiting the robe is in Appendix VI.If seven dawns have not yet passed, and yet one thinks that they have or one is indoubt about the matter, the penalty is a dukkaṭa. As under NP 1, this penalty isapparently for using the robe.Non-offenses. There is no offense for a bhikkhu who has stayed away from his robesix dawns or fewer than six; orif, having been apart from his robe six dawns, he enters the village territoryagain, stays there (to greet dawnrise), and departs;if, within the six nights, he rescinds the determination of the robe, places itunder shared ownership, abandons it; or the robe gets lost, destroyed, burnt,snatched away, or taken by someone else on trust; orif he has been authorized by the Community to be apart from his robe. (This,according to the Commentary, refers to the authorization discussed underNP 2.)As mentioned above, a bhikkhu is immune from an offense under this rule as longas his kaṭhina privileges are in effect, no matter how many nights he is away fromany of his robes.Summary: When one is living in a dangerous wilderness lodging during the monthafter the Rains-residence and has left one of one's robes in the village where onenormally goes for alms: Being away from the lodging and the village for more thansix nights at a stretch — except when authorized by the Community — is anissaggiya pācittiya offense.30. Should any bhikkhu knowingly divert to himself gains that hadbeen allocated for a Community, they are to be forfeited andconfessed."Now in Sāvatthī at that time a certain guild had prepared a meal with robe-cloth forthe Community, (thinking,) 'Having fed (the bhikkhus) we will clothe them with robecloth.'"Then some group-of-six bhikkhus went to the guild and on arrival said, 'Give usthese robe-cloths, friends.'"'We can't, venerable sirs. We arrange alms with robe-cloth for the Community (likethis) on a yearly basis.'227