Origin story

First sub-story

At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. At that time the nun Uppalavaṇṇā was staying at Sāvatthī. After dressing in the morning, she took her bowl and robe and entered Sāvatthī to collect almsfood. When she had finished her almsround and had eaten her meal, she went to spend the day in the Blind Men’s Grove, where she sat down at the foot of a tree.

Just then, some bandits, who had stolen a cow and slaughtered it, were taking the meat to the Blind Men’s Grove. The head bandit saw Uppalavaṇṇā sitting at the foot of that tree, and thinking, “If my sons and brothers see this nun, they will harass her,” he took a different path. Then, when the meat was cooked, he took some of the best meat, tied it up in a palm-leaf packet, hung it from a tree not far from Uppalavaṇṇā, and said: “Whatever acetic or brahmin sees this gift, please take it.” And he left.

Uppalavaṇṇā, who had just come out of samādhi, heard the head bandit making this statement. She then took that meat, and went to her dwelling place. When the night was over, she got hold of the meat and made a bundle with her upper robe. She then rose into the air and appeared in the Bamboo Grove.

When she arrived the Master had already entered a village to collect almsfood, but Venerable Udāyī had been left behind to look after the monastery. Uppalavaṇṇā approached Venerable Udāyī and said: “Bhante, where is the Master?”

“He has entered a village to collect almsfood.”

“Bhante, please give this meat to the Master.”

“You will please the Master with that meat. If you give me your lower robe, you will please me too.”

“Bhante, it is hard for women to get requisites, and this is the last of my five robes. I cannot give it away.”

“Sister, just as a man giving an elephant might decorate its girth, so you giving meat to the Master should decorate me with your lower robe.”

Being pressed by Venerable Udāyī, Uppalavaṇṇā gave him her lower robe and then returned to her dwelling. The nuns who received Uppalavaṇṇā’s bowl and robe asked her: “Venerable, where is your lower robe?” And she told them what had happened. The nuns complained and criticised Venerable Udāyī: “How could Venerable Udāyī receive a robe from a nun? It is hard for women to get requisites.”

Those nuns informed the monks. The monks of few desires … complained and criticised Venerable Udāyī: “How could Venerable Udāyī receive a robe from a nun?

After criticising Venerable Udāyī in many ways, they informed the Master. … “Is it true, Udāyī, that you received a robe from a nun?

“It’s true, Master.”

“Is she a relative of yours?”

“No, Master.”

“Foolish man, a man and a woman who are not related do not know what is appropriate and what is inappropriate in dealing with each other, what is right and what is wrong. And still you received a robe from the hand of an unrelated nun. This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

Preliminary ruling

“If a monk receives a robe from the hand of an unrelated nun, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.”

In this way the Master laid down this training rule for the monks.

Second sub-story

Fearing they would act wrongly, some monks did not receive robes from nuns even in exchange. The nuns complained and criticised them: “How can the Venerables not receive a robe from us in exchange?”

The monks heard the criticism of those nuns and they informed the Master. The Master spoke on the Dhamma and addressed the monks:

“Monks, I allow you to receive things in exchange from five sources: from monks, from nuns, from trainee nuns, from novices, and from female novices. And so, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

Final ruling

“If a monk receives a robe from the hand of an unrelated nun, except in exchange, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.”

Definitions

A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who is ordained by a complete Sangha through a procedure of one motion and three announcements, which is unchallengeable and fit to stand; this sort of monk is meant in this case.

Unrelated: anyone who is not a descendent of one’s male ancestors going back seven generations, either on the mother’s side or on the father’s side.

Nun: fully ordained by both Sanghas.

Robe: one of the six kinds of robes, but not smaller than what can be placed under shared ownership.

Except in exchange: Apart from an exchange.

In the act of accepting it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If he gets the robe, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment. The robe is to be relinquished to a Sangha, a group, or an individual.

“And, monks, it is to be relinquished in this way. … To be expanded as in Bu-NP.1.3.2, with appropriate substitutions. … ‘Bhante, this robe of mine, which I received from the hand of an unrelated nun, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’ … the Sangha should give … the Venerables should give … ‘I give this robe back to the Venerable.’”

Permutations

If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he receives a robe, except in exchange, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated, but he has doubts about it, and he receives a robe, except in exchange, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated, but he perceives her as related, and he receives a robe, except in exchange, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.

If he receive a robe from the hand of a nun ordained only on one side, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If she is related, but he perceives her as unrelated, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If she is related, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If she is related and he perceives her as related, there is no offence.

Non-offences

There is no offence: if she is related; if much is exchanged with little or little is exchanged with much; if the monk takes it on trust; if he borrows it; if he receives any requisite apart from a robe; if it is a trainee nun; if it is a female novice; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

The fifth rule, the training rule on receiving robes, is finished.