The great meritorious act of offering a Katina robe

Vap Poya, falling on October 6 marks the end of the ‘vas’ season – the three-month period when monks are committed to the observance of religious practices maintaining a close relationship with the laity, preaching to them and getting them to observe meditative practices.

Within the next month, ‘Katina pinkamas’ will be held in temples throughout the country when the ‘Katina’ robe is sewn and offered on a designated day. It is an eagerly-awaited occasion by Buddhists since it can only be held once a year. Here Ven. Kudagala Kovida Thera, resident monk at the Australian Buddhist Vihara of Katoomba in Sydney discusses the significance of the offering of the ‘katina’ robe.

There are eight powerful wholesome acts, which can be performed by a person. These meritorious acts are stated in the following stanza:

Katinattha parikkharam – Vasadananca uttam
Buddhapamukha Sanghassa danam – Dhammassa lekhanam
Khettadananca Buddhassa – Patima karanampica
Karanam vaccakutiya – Attha punnani vuccare

These are generally known as the ‘Eight Great Wholesome Acts’ (Ata Maha Kusal).

The offering of a Katina robe is one of the eight most powerful noble acts. It is only possible to perform a noble offering of a Katina during the dispensation of a Samma Sambuddha. Then again, it can only be done in the human world and nowhere else. Furthermore, this noble deed is not to be seen or performed by people adhering to other faiths of the world. A unique feature of this noble meritorious act is that it is performed entirely in the name of Buddhist monks, by Buddhists or others with a clear understanding of Buddha-Dhamma. It cannot, at all, be performed without Buddhist monks.

Under whatever circumstance, the offering of a Katina robe or any other item large or small accompanying such an offering, be it as small and insignificant as a mere needle, or a reel of cotton, is held by everyone as bearing tremendous fruit. This is clearly stated in many a Buddhist text, as follows:

Yavata sabba parikkhare Sanghassa satatam dade
Ekassa Katina danassa kalam nagghati solasim.

There exists a gap of 16 times between the effect of offering a single Katina Robe and the effect of offering all requisites to monks continuously over a period of time. In other words, the effect of offering a single Katina is 16 times greater than the combined effect of the other offerings.

Giriraja samam rasim sanghe deti ticivaram
Ekassa Katina danassa kalam nagghati solasim
The effect of offering just one Katina robe is 16 times greater than the combined effect of offering a Maha Meru mountain high pile of two-ply robes, one-ply robes and under-robes, all made of the most exquisite textiles available.

Both these stanzas have been uttered by our Lord Samma Sambuddha, in the presence of 500 Maha Arahants (great enlightened ones).

There are many other stanzas which the Buddha has uttered to illustrate the greatness of the effect of offering a Katina robe.

Yavata sabba danani eko vassa satam dade

Ekassa Katina danassa kalam nagghati solasim

Even the combined effect of performing every type of offering done in this world, continuously through 100 years, is not worth one sixteenth portion of the effect of offering just one Katina robe. The effect of offering a Katina robe is so immensely powerful.

Yavata panca bhesajjam eko vassa satam dade
Ekassa Katina danassa kalam nagghati solasim

The effect of offering just one Katina robe is 16 times greater than the combined effect of offering all five types of medicines available in this world, continuously through one hundred years.

Sabba danam dadantena Asimim Pruthuvi Mandale
Sanghassa dinnam Katinam aggam Buddhena vannitam

All Buddhas have highly praised the offering of a Katina robe to monks as the noblest meritorious act among all offerings made on this Good Earth.

Manusikaca sampatti Deva Lokeca ya rati
Yaca Nibbana sampatti Sabba metena labbati

A Katina robe offering has the power to bestow upon a devotee all the happiness and treasures obtainable in the human world, all divine happiness and treasures obtainable in the deva world and finally, the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.

The most famous anecdote describing the benefits accruing from offering a Katina robe

During the time of our Lord Samma Sambuddha, then living in the Jetavana Monastery in the city of Savatthi, a boy by the name of Nagitha was born to a wealthy family. Later this child developed a liking to join the Holy Order of Buddhist Monks. Accordingly, having received ordination from our Lord Samma Sambuddha, he became a highly accomplished Maha Arahant (great enlightened one).

One day, the Buddha addressing his devoted and faithful attendant, Venerable Ananda, told him to assemble on that day, 500 Maha Arahants (great enlightened ones) who have been ordained by the Lord’s formula of ‘Ehi Bhikkhu Pravrijja’. (This is when a lay person comes forward as a senior accomplished monk, as requested by the Lord, with the words: “Come Here, O Bhikkhu!”). When Venerable Ananda had assembled 500 such Arahants, the Buddha went with them to Lake Anotatta in the Himalayan forest. The Elder Nagitha was there among them.

Subsequently, the Buddha addressing the noble congregation, asked, “O Bhikkhus, is there anyone among you who in the past who have performed a special ‘pinkama’ (meritorious act) for a Buddha, Pacceka Buddha (Privet Buddha) or Maha Arahants? (great enlightened ones)”

Upon hearing this, the elder Maha Arahant Nagitha came forward from among that group of Arahants, and proceeded to narrate the following:

“Your Most Gracious Venerable Lordship, Ninety one Kalpas (aeons) ago there appeared in the world a Samma Sambuddha by the name Vipassi. At that time there was a city called Bandumati. I was born there. At that time I regularly offered alms to large numbers of people - the poor, the travellers, the beggars, etc. I also observed regularly the Five Precepts (Pan Sil) and the Eight Precepts (Ata Sil) and maintained those precepts faithfully. One day, I was immensely moved by the preachings of Samma Sambuddha Vipassi, resplendent in his magnificent Buddha colours, to a large gathering of people, including the King himself, in the city of Bandumati. I offered dana with great devotion, to the Buddha and his retinue of monks.

“Subsequently, I invited Buddha Vipassi and his retinue of monks to observe Vas, the rainy retreat there. At the end of the Vas period, I offered the Buddha and his retinue alms and a Katina robe, together with many other offerings (Pirikara). In conclusion, I made the solemn wish that by virtue of that great meritorious act, I be blessed with the great good fortune of attaining to the noble state of an Arahant (great enlightened ones).

“Since that day I was never born in any of the four woeful worlds (apaya). I was born throughout either in the human world or in the divine worlds. These were the great benefits I accrued from that noble Katina robe offering of mine.”

The great elder Nagitha continued to narrate in this manner, the noble virtues of a Katina, through the following stanzas:

Katina danam datvana Sanghe gunavaruttame
Itho thinse maha kappo nabhijanami duggatim

“By offering a Katina robe to the noble and highly virtuous Sangha I was never born in a woeful world throughout the course of thirty maha kalpas (great aeons). This is the benefit accruing from a Katina offering.”

Attharasannam kappanam deva loke ramamaham
Catut thinsakkhattum devindo devarajjamakaraim

“Through eighteen kalpas (aeons) I lived in the divine worlds enjoying the pleasures thereof. I was born as the king of the devas (divine beings) and Sakra thirty four times. These were the benefits accruing from a Katina offering.”

Arapathe arapathe cakkavat tissirim labhe
Asitin ca catukkhattum cakkavatti ahosaham

“Although every stitch put in place, as the Katina robe is being prepared, has the potential to bestow enough merit to be born as a universal monarch (Sakviti King) 34 times over, I only reigned as a universal monarch only 84 times, since I did not continue to live long enough in samsara. This is how the virtues of a Katina robe offering have been described.”

Ytthayatthupapajjami labhitva sabba sampadam
Purisanam uttamo homi Katinadanassidam phalam

“Wherever I was born, I was a highly accomplished person, endowed with every form of comfort and happiness. This is the benefit accruing from a Katina offering.”

Dve bhave upapajjami deveva pica manuse
Annam gatim na janami Katina danassidam phalam

“I was only born among humans and gods, and never in a woeful realm. This is the benefit accruing from a Katina offering.”

Dve kule upapajjami khattiye ca pi brahmane
Hine kule na janami Katinadanassidam phalam

“When amongst the humans, I was only born in one or the other of the Brahmin and Kshatriya (warrior) castes, and never born in a low caste. This is the benefit accruing from a Katina offering.”

Cakkavalamupadaya mahim sagara kundalam
Khomadussehi jadeyyam Katinadanassidam phalam

“I was wealthy enough to cover with glistening white silk cloth this full globe including its four great oceans and the Maha Meru Mountain. This is the benefit accruing from a Katina offering.
Aho Buddho aho Dhammo aho Sanghassa sampada

Parittadanam datvana laddham mevipulam sukham

“The supreme noble qualities of Arahatship (enlightenment), and the noble qualities of leading to emancipation, of being worthy of receiving alms, etc. Of the Noble Triple Gem: Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha are indeed amazing. I had the good fortune of receiving all the above benefits by virtue of just performing one Katina robe offering."

Teneva kusala kammena piyoham deva manuse
Tasseva bhadda kammassa pattosmi acalam padam

“By virtue of that stupendous meritorious thought of that Katina robe offering, I was a highly pleasing person to gods when born amongst the gods, and a highly pleasing one to humans when born amongst the humans. Also, I reaped the greatest of them all, the benefit of attaining to Nibbana, by virtue of that noble deed.

Evam nagavhayo thero majjha sanghassa sobhano
Pakasesi sakam kammam Anotatta Mahasare

"In this manner, the graciously serene Maha Arahant Nagitha, glistening as a brilliant light among the Sangha, that day on the banks of Lake Anotatta, described the virtues of his great meritorious act of offering a Katina robe, which he had performed in the distant past."

It is a great good fortune to have the opportunity of performing a Katina robe offering to the Maha Sangha. The meritorious power accruing therefrom is indeed tremendous!

No king or government can ever confiscate it. Neither can it be destroyed by sun, rain, fire, weapons, poisons or other heinous devices. This is the very reason why this offering is called ‘Katina’– literally meaning the quality of being hard, dense, strong, stable, uncrushable and indestructible.