2 / 13 · Robes
Keeping only the three robes
Owning no cloth beyond the outer robe, upper robe and lower robe.
- Author
- Dhutanga.org Editorial Team
- Review
- Doctrinal review pending
- Tradition
- Theravada, with comparative notes
- Published
- Last reviewed
- Pali name
- Tecīvarikaṅga
- Group
- Robes
Meaning
Tecīvara means “triple robe”: the saṅghāṭi (outer double-layered robe), the uttarāsaṅga (upper robe) and the antaravāsaka (lower robe). A tecīvarika keeps these three and no extra garments.
How it is practised
The practitioner declines a fourth robe or spare cloth, and cares for the three with attention — washing, mending and dyeing them without accumulating replacements.
Grades of strictness
The grades differ mainly in how a temporary cloth may be used while robes are being washed or dyed: the strict practitioner avoids any extra cloth, while milder grades allow limited temporary use.
Benefits described in the tradition
- Contentment with what is sufficient
- Lightness when travelling — like a bird that carries only its wings
- Less time spent storing and caring for possessions
When the observance lapses
The observance lapses when a fourth robe is accepted and kept.
Context today
Modern climates, travel and health can make extra layers necessary. Communities vary in how they apply this practice, and monastics normally follow their preceptor’s guidance.