翻譯名義集 7.47

7.47

[Niṣīdāna] Also written as niṣīdatha; named here the sitting cloth, or the robe for sitting at will. The Yeshu says: 'The Buddha said: "For the sake of the body, for the sake of the robe, and for the sake of the bedding, I instituted its keeping, four [spans] long and three wide."' When it is further enlarged by half a span, the Samantapāsādikā says: 'It is ordered to be added outside the border of the threads (because Kālodāyin was large in body and could not fit upon it while sitting, half a span was added).' The Sarvāstivāda-vinaya says: 'A new one should be of two layers; an old one, of four layers.' The Sarvāstivāda-vinaya says: 'One should not take a single layer; to spend the night apart from it is a duṣkṛta.' The Jietan jing says: 'The niṣīdāna is like the foundation of a stūpa. Your receiving the precepts now is the foundation of the five-part dharmakāya. Truly, because the five parts are accomplished through the precepts, if there were no sitting mat for your body to sit upon, the concentration and wisdom of the five parts would have no place from which to arise.' The celestial spirit Huang Qiong said: 'Originally, when the Buddha first converted the five monks and the Kāśyapa brothers, he instructed them all to keep the kāṣāya over the left arm, with the sitting cloth beneath the kāṣāya (and so on). Later, as he converted more people and his disciples gradually grew in number, the young bhikṣus were handsome and refined in appearance; entering the city to beg for food, they were often loved by women. Because of this, it was instituted that the corner of the robe be placed over the left shoulder. Later, when it was blown by the wind, it was permitted to weigh it down with the niṣīdāna placed on top. Later, the non-Buddhist Dharmottara asked a bhikṣu: "What do you use that piece of cloth on your shoulder for?" The reply was: "It is intended for sitting upon (and so on)." Dharmottara said: "Since this [kāṣāya] robe is so venerable and possesses great majestic spiritual power, how can a cloth used for sitting be placed on top of it (and so on)?" The bhikṣus reported this to the Buddha; therefore, the Buddha instituted that the corner of the robe should once again rest over the left arm, and the sitting cloth should once again be under the robe, but without hanging down pointed corners in shapes like an elephant's trunk or a sheep's ear.' The Mātṛkā says: 'If one spends the night apart from it, it need not be relinquished.' The Yeshu says: 'When receiving it, one should additionally say: "May the Venerable One keep in mind with single-hearted attention: I, the bhikṣu so-and-so, have this niṣīdāna made to the proper measure, and now take and maintain it" (stated three times; if relinquishing it, follow the model above).'