[150] Then the Blessed One, having dwelt at Rājagaha for as long as he wished, set out on tour toward Vesālī. And the Blessed One, while traveling along the highroad between Rājagaha and Vesālī, saw several bhikkhus coming along laden up with robes, having made a mattress-like bundle of robes upon the head, having made a mattress-like bundle of robes upon the shoulder, and having made a mattress-like bundle of robes upon the hip. Seeing this, it occurred to the Blessed One: "All too quickly have these foolish men turned to excess in the matter of robes. What if I were to bind a boundary and set a limit concerning robes for the bhikkhus?"
Then the Blessed One, wandering on tour by stages, arrived at Vesālī. There at Vesālī the Blessed One dwelt at the Gotamaka Shrine (cetiya).
Now at that time, during the cold winter nights, in the period of the "eight days in between" (antaraṭṭhaka), at the time of falling snow, the Blessed One sat at night in the open air wearing a single robe, and the Blessed One was not cold. When the first watch had passed, the Blessed One became cold. The Blessed One put on a second robe, and the Blessed One was not cold. When the middle watch had passed, the Blessed One became cold. The Blessed One put on a third robe, and the Blessed One was not cold. When the last watch had passed, as dawn was rising and the night wore a face of gladness, the Blessed One became cold. The Blessed One put on a fourth robe, and the Blessed One was not cold. Then it occurred to the Blessed One: "Even those clansmen in this Dhamma and Discipline who are sensitive to cold and afraid of cold are able to keep themselves going with three robes. What if I were to bind a boundary and set a limit concerning robes for the bhikkhus—I should allow three robes."
Then the Blessed One, having given a talk on the Dhamma in connection with that occasion, in connection with that incident, addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, here, while I was traveling along the highroad between Rājagaha and Vesālī, I saw several bhikkhus coming along laden up with robes, having made a mattress-like bundle of robes upon the head, having made a mattress-like bundle of robes upon the shoulder, and having made a mattress-like bundle of robes upon the hip. Seeing this, it occurred to me: 'All too quickly have these foolish men turned to excess in the matter of robes. What if I were to bind a boundary and set a limit concerning robes for the bhikkhus?'
"Bhikkhus, here, during the cold winter nights, in the period of the 'eight days in between,' at the time of falling snow, I sat at night in the open air wearing a single robe, and I was not cold. When the first watch had passed, I became cold. I put on a second robe, and I was not cold. When the middle watch had passed, I became cold. I put on a third robe, and I was not cold. When the last watch had passed, as dawn was rising and the night wore a face of gladness, I became cold. I put on a fourth robe, and I was not cold.
"Bhikkhus, it occurred to me: 'Even those clansmen in this Dhamma and Discipline who are sensitive to cold and afraid of cold are able to keep themselves going with three robes. What if I were to bind a boundary and set a limit concerning robes for the bhikkhus—I should allow three robes.'
"Bhikkhus, I allow three robes (ticīvara): a double-layered outer robe (saṅghāṭi), a single-layered upper robe (uttarāsaṅga), and a single-layered inner robe (antaravāsaka)."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.