English
Even when establishing in a house, without marking the walls, making space for twenty-one bhikkhus inside, boundary stones should be placed and the boundary consecrated. The boundary is then only inside the house. If there is no space for twenty-one bhikkhus inside the house, boundary stones should be placed at the entrance and consecrated. If even that is not enough, boundary marks should be placed even at the place where water drips outside, and consecrated. When consecrated thus, the entire house becomes part of the boundary. Even when establishing in a four-walled cave, without marking the walls, only stones should be marked. If there is no space inside, marks should be placed even at the entrance. If that is not enough, boundary stones should be placed even at the place where water drips outside, and the marks made, and the boundary consecrated. Thus, the boundary is both inside and outside the cave. Even when establishing in an upper palace, without marking the walls, stones should be placed inside and the boundary consecrated. If that is not enough, stones should be placed even at the entrance and consecrated. When consecrated thus, it is only in the upper palace, it does not descend below. But if, for a palace built on many pillars above beams, the lower level's wall is within the marks, and thus it rises, standing connected by the beam-timbers, it descends below as well. However, a boundary established on the upper level of a single-pillar palace, if there is space for twenty-one bhikkhus at the top of the pillar, it descends below. If they establish the boundary by placing stones on projections etc. extending from the palace wall, the palace wall is within the boundary. And its descent or non-descent below should be understood in the manner stated. Even when marking the lower palace, walls and wooden pillars should not be marked. But stone pillars attached to walls are permissible to mark. A boundary thus marked is within the boundary pillars of the lower palace. But if the wall of the lower palace is connected to the upper level, it also ascends to the upper palace. If marks are made outside the palace at the place where rainwater falls, the entire palace is within the boundary. On the top of a mountain there is a level ground suitable for twenty-one monks. There, they establish a boundary as if on a flat rock. Even on the lower mountain, the boundary descends with the same demarcation. Even on a palm-root-like mountain, a boundary established above certainly descends below. But if it is canopy-shaped, there is space for twenty-one monks above, but not below, a boundary established above it does not descend below. Thus, whether drum-shaped or tabor-shaped, if there is no boundary measure below or in the middle, a boundary established above it certainly does not descend below. But if two peaks stand close by, and the boundary measure is not sufficient on either one, then by building up or filling in the space between the peaks, making it one continuous area, a boundary should be established above. There is a mountain like a snake's hood. Because there is a boundary measure on its top, they establish a boundary. If below it there is an overhanging space, the boundary does not descend. But if in its very middle there is a hollow rock of boundary measure, it descends. And that rock is itself within the boundary. Furthermore, if below it the wall of a cave stands touching the topmost point, it descends, and both below and above are within the boundary. But if below, beyond the upper boundary demarcation, there is an inner cave, the boundary does not descend outside. Furthermore, if below, on this side of the upper boundary demarcation, there is an outer cave, the boundary does not descend inside. Furthermore, if the boundary demarcation above is a water-pot, if a large cave below extends beyond the boundary, the boundary is only above, it does not descend below. But if the cave is small, the size of the very last boundary, and the boundary above is large, encompassing it, the boundary descends. If the cave is too small, not the size of a boundary, the boundary is only above, it does not descend below. If half of it breaks off and falls, even if it is the size of a boundary, what has fallen outside is not a boundary. But if what has not fallen is the size of a boundary, it is indeed a boundary. A broken boundary is low-lying, they fill it up and make it high-lying, it is still a boundary. They build a house on the boundary, it is within the boundary. They dig a pond on the boundary, it is still a boundary. A flood passes over the boundary area, it is permissible to tie a platform in the boundary hall and perform an act. Below the boundary is an underground river, an iddhi-powered bhikkhu sits there, if that river flowed first, and the boundary was established later, it does not invalidate the act. But if the boundary was established first, and the river flowed later, it invalidates the act. However, one standing on the ground below certainly invalidates it. There is a banyan tree in the boundary hall, its branch or a shoot emerging from it touches the ground of the main boundary or the trees and so on growing there, the act should be performed after clearing the main boundary, or those branches and shoots should be cut off and made to be outside. A bhikkhu who has climbed onto branches and so on that do not touch should be brought within arm's reach. Similarly, if a branch or shoot of a tree growing in the main boundary is established in the boundary hall in the manner stated, the act should be performed after clearing the boundary in the manner stated, or those branches and shoots should be cut off and made to be outside. If, while an act is being performed in the boundary hall, some bhikkhu enters the boundary hall and sits on a branch suspended in the air, or his feet are on the ground, or his inner and outer robes touch the ground, it is not permissible to perform the act. But if his feet and inner and outer robes it is proper to make it by having it lifted up. And this characteristic should be understood in the former method as well. But this is the difference – there it is not proper to make it by having it lifted up; it must be brought within arm's reach. If a mountain projects within the boundary, the monk residing there must be brought within arm's reach. The same method applies even if he enters the mountain by psychic power. For a boundary, when being established, does not extend to a place that is without measure. Whatever arises in an established boundary, wherever it may be, if it has gone with a single connection, it goes by the designation of a boundary. 140. "Beyond three yojanas" – here, "beyond three yojanas" means that three yojanas is its maximum measure; that is, beyond three yojanas. However, the one establishing it should stand in the middle and establish it so that it is one and a half yojanas in each of the four directions. But if, standing in the middle, they make it three yojanas from each direction, it becomes six yojanas, and that is not proper. When establishing a square or a triangular one, it should be established so that from corner to corner it is three yojanas. For if, by any boundary whatsoever, it exceeds three yojanas even by a hair's breadth, one incurs an offense, and the boundary becomes no boundary. "Beyond the river" – here, "pārā" means that which crosses. What does it cross? The river. "Nadīpārā" means that which crosses the river; that is, that which extends across the river. And here, the characteristic of a river is as stated in the section on river signs. "Where there is a permanent boat" – that is, where, at the landing places located at the boundary-establishing site of the river, there is a boat in constant use, which, with the last person to propel it, carries three people. But if that boat has been taken upstream or downstream for some purpose, to return again, or has been stolen by thieves, but is certainly recoverable, or if, broken from its moorings by the wind, it has been carried to the middle of the river by the waves, but must certainly be brought back, it is still a permanent boat. Even if it has been pulled onto land when the water receded, or filled with lime mortar and kept, it is still a permanent boat. If it is broken or its planks are dislocated, it is not It is permissible. But Mahāpadumatthera said: "Even if a temporary boat is brought and placed at the boundary-defining spot, and the marks are declared, it is a permanent boat." There, Mahāsumatthera said: "The mark or the boundary proceeds by means of the formal act, not by means of the boat. And the permanent boat was allowed by the Blessed One, therefore, it is permissible only with a fixed boat." A permanent bridge is where there is a bridge made of logs, or one bound with planks, or a footbridge, or a large bridge suitable for the passage of elephants and so on; even if it is just a single-plank bridge made by cutting down a tree at that very moment, suitable for human passage, it is counted as a permanent bridge. But if the rattan vines and so on bound above cannot be crossed even by holding them with the hand, it is not permissible. "To establish such a boundary across a river" means: where such a permanent boat or permanent bridge as described is present right at the opposite bank, "I allow to establish such a boundary across a river." If the permanent boat or permanent bridge is not at the opposite bank, but is a little upstream or a little downstream, even so, it is permissible. But Karavīkatissatthera said: "It is permissible even within a gāvuta." And when establishing this boundary across a river, one should stand on one bank, declare a mark on the riverbank upstream, and from there, enclosing oneself, at the end of the desired extent, declare a mark on the riverbank downstream, and on the opposite bank, at the corresponding spot,