Mahavagga - Eighth Khandhaka: Chapter 14

1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Vesâlî as long as he thought fit, he
went onwards on his journey towards Benares. And in due course he arrived at
Benares, and there, at Benares, he stayed in the hermitage in the Migadâya.
Now at that time a certain Bhikkhu's under robe was torn. And that Bhikkhu
thought: 'The Blessed
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[paragraph continues] One has ordained the use of three robes, a double waist
cloth, and a single upper robe, and a single under-garment 1, and this
under-garment of mine is torn. What if I were to insert a slip of cloth 2 so
that the robe shall be double all round and single in the middle.'
2. So that Bhikkhu inserted a slip of cloth. And the Blessed One on his way
round the sleeping apartments saw him doing so, went up to the place where he
was, and said to him:
'What are you doing, O Bhikkhu?'
'I am inserting a slip of cloth, Lord.'
'That is very good, O Bhikkhu. It is quite right of you, O Bhikkhu, to insert a
slip of cloth.'
And the Blessed One on that occasion, when he had delivered a religious
discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to use a double waist cloth, and a single upper robe,
and a single under-garment, of cloths which are new, or as good as new 3; and
the use of a fourfold waist cloth, and of a double upper robe, and of a double
under robe of cloth which has been worn for a long time. You are to make
endeavour to get sufficient material from rags taken from the dust-heap 4, or
from bits picked up in the bazaar 4. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, slips of cloth
inserted bolt-like to hold a torn robe
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together, patches 1, darns 2, and small pieces of cloth sewn on by way of
marking 2, or of strengthening 2 the robe.'



Footnotes
214:1 So the first Nissaggiya; the second section of the Sutta-vibhaṅga on which
rule is identical with this section 7.
214:2 On vikappetum, compare our note above, the 59th Pâkittiya, and below,
chapters 20, 22.
215:1 See above, VIII, 13, 5.
215:2 Buddhaghosa says, Aggatam akkhâdeyyan (sic) ti khinnatthâne
pilotika-khandam laggâpeyyam. The word occurs at Gâtaka I, 8, where the
liability to want such an insertion is given as one of the nine disadvantages of
a robe from the ascetic's point of view.
215:3 Ahata-kappânam. See above, VII, 1, 6.
215:4 See our notes on these expressions above, VII, 1, 6.
216:1 This liability to have to be patched is given, in connection with the
previous phrase, as one of the nine disadvantages of robes at Gâtaka I, 8; and
tunnavâya occurs as the expression for a mender of old clothes at Kullavagga VI,
5, I.
216:2 See our notes on these expressions above, VII, 1, 5.