Mahavagga - Eighth Khandhaka: Chapter 28

1. Now at that time a certain Bhikkhu came naked up to the place where the
Blessed One was, and said:
'The Blessed One, Lord, has praised in many ways the moderate man and the
contented who has eradicated (evil), who has shaken off his passions, who is
gracious, reverent, energetic 5. Now this
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nakedness, Lord, is in many ways effectual to moderation and content, to the
eradication of evil, to the suppressions of the passions, to graciousness,
reverence, and zeal. It were well, Lord, if the Blessed One would enjoin
nakedness upon the Bhikkhus.'
The Blessed Buddha rebuked him, saying, 'This would be improper, O foolish one,
crooked, unsuitable, unworthy of a Sam a n a, unbecoming, and it ought not to be
done. How can you, O foolish one, adopt nakedness as the Titthiyas do? This will
not conduce, O foolish one, to the conversion of the unconverted.'
And when he had rebuked him, and had delivered a religious discourse, he
addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to adopt nakedness, as the Titthiyas do 1. Whosoever
does so, shall be guilty of a grave offence (Thullakkaya).'
2. [The whole -section repeated respectively in the case of a Bhikkhu clad in a
garment of grass, clad in a garment of bark 2, clad in a garment of phalaka
cloth 3, clad in a garment of hair 4, clad in the skin of a wild animal, clad in
the feathers of
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an owl, clad in antelope skins (with the hoofs left on) 1. But instead of 'adopt
nakedness as the Titthiyas do' substitute respectively 'wear a garment of grass,
&c., which is the symbol 2 the Titthiyas use.']
3. Now at that time a certain Bhikkhu came up to the place where the Blessed One
was, clad in cloth made of the stalks of the akka plant 3.
[All as before in § 1, down to:]
And when he had rebuked him, and had delivered a religious discourse, he
addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to dress yourselves in the stalks of the akka plant.
Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata.'
[§ 3 is then repeated of a Bhikkhu clad in cloth made of the makaki fibre 4.]



Footnotes
245:5 So, for example, in Kullavagga I, 1, 3.
246:1 Compare above, VIII, 15, 7 and 11.
246:2 This is several times referred to in the Gâtakas; for instance, pp. 6, 9,
12,
246:3 Perhaps made of leaves. Compare Böhtlingk-Roth's, No. 5, sub voce; and
Gâtaka I, 304 (phalakattharasayana). Perhaps also Gâtaka I, 356, 'making a man
his phalaka,' may be a figure of speech founded on this use of the word, and
mean 'making him his covering.'
246:4 Like the well-known Titthiya Agita, one of the six great heretics
(Sâmañña-phala Sutta, ed. Grimblot, p. 114, Book of the Great Decease, V, 60).
247:1 Buddhaghosa, at Suttavibhaṅga, Pârâgika I, 10, 3, where this word occurs,
says on it, Aginakkhikan (sic) ti salomam sakhuram agina-miga-kammam. Compare
also above, Mahâvagga V. 4.
247:2 Titthiya-dhaga. Compare Gâtaka I, 65, and Kullavagga I, 2 7.
247:3 Akkanâlan ti akkanâlamayam (B.). Compare Böhtlingk-Roth, under arka.
247:4 Potthako ti makakimayo vukkati (B.). So also Childers, sub voce.