緇門警訓 3.51

3.51

The Zichi states: 'The "elephant's trunk" [style] constitutes an offense against the training in decorum regarding untidiness; the commentary on the precepts makes this evident. Nowadays, people let it hang over the elbow; how could they know that with every step they violate decorum and commit an offense of duṣkṛta? Now, in accordance with what the celestial being revealed in the Gantong zhuan, it underwent four promulgations in total. Because the world is mostly deluded and clinging, I shall cite it briefly. It says: "Originally, when the Buddha first delivered the five disciples, down through Kāśyapa and his brothers, it was in all cases enjoined that the kāṣāya be worn on the left arm, with the sitting cloth beneath the kāṣāya. The kings and ministers of the Western lands all wore white muslin slung over their left shoulders; therefore, the Buddha enjoined that the corner of the robe rest on the arm to differ from the secular. (This is the first promulgation.) Later, the followers gradually grew in number, and young monks were handsome and upright in deportment; entering the city to beg for food, they were often loved by women. Because of this, it was enjoined that the corner of the robe be behind the shoulder, and because it was blown about by the wind, it was permitted to weight it down with the niṣīdana. (This is the second promulgation.) Later, a monk was challenged by a non-Buddhist who said: 'Since the kāṣāya is so noble and possesses great awe-inspiring spiritual power, how can the cloth one sits upon be placed on top of it?' The monk was unable to answer and reported the matter to the Buddha. Because of this, the Buddha enjoined that the corner of the robe should once again rest on the left arm, and the sitting cloth should once again be beneath the robe. (This is the third promulgation.) After this, the monks wore their robes untidily, and non-Buddhists ridiculed them, saying, 'They look like wanton women, like elephants' trunks.' Because of this, it was first enjoined that a hook and loop be placed on top, so that the corner of the robe reaches the left arm ('da' means 'to reach') and is placed beneath the armpit, not allowing it to hang down, which is an error as described above. (One must now follow this: it is permissible to hitch it over the left shoulder, but if it hangs over the arm and elbow, it is definitely judged non-Dharmic, incurring an offense at every step. The old view that 'having it on the left arm is correct now, as long as the pointed corner does not hang down' is mistaken.)"'