z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 09.indd MK SJ+YS 5 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 584
584 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
- To her the Lord made the answer, “Give it to the confraternity.”
VIII
A second and a third time did Gautami repeat her request, only to receive the same reply.
Then Ananda intervened, saying, “Pray accept, sir, the cloth presented by Gautami. She was of great service to the Lord as nurse and foster-mother suckling her nephew when his own mother died.” But the Blessed Lord insisted upon the cloth being given to the confraternity.
Originally it was the rule of the Sangh that the robes of the members should be made of rags picked up from dung heaps. This rule was made to prevent the wealthier classes from joining the Sangh.
Once Jivika prevailed upon the Blessed Lord to accept a robe of newly made cloth. When the Lord accepted it, he at the same time relaxed the original rule and allowed the bhikkhu the same privilege.