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dig a tuber or a root in this place," it is not allowable to say. 73. By those cleaning a pond, thin mud that can be scooped out with pots, it is allowable to remove that, thick mud is not allowable. Mud dried by the sun cracks, that which is not connected to the earth below, it is allowable to remove only that. In a place where water has flowed, there is a water-bubble-like thing, it moves by the force of wind, it is allowable to remove that. The bank of ponds, etc., breaks and falls near the water. If it has fallen within less than four months, it is allowable to cut or break it, beyond four months it is not allowable. But if it falls into the water itself, even if it has fallen for more than four months by rain, because it fell into the water itself, it is allowable. They dig a channel on a rock surface. If fine dust falls there first, and it has been rained upon by devas, after four months, it becomes non-allowable earth. When the water is exhausted, it is not allowable for those cleaning the channel to disturb it. If it fills with water first, and dust falls afterwards, it is allowable to disturb that. For there, even when it rains, the water falls into the water itself. On the surface of the rock, there is fine dust. When it rains, it sticks. That too, after four months, it is not allowable to disturb. If an anthill has risen in an unmade cave, it is allowable to disturb it as one wishes. If it rises in the open air, it is allowable only if it has been rained upon for less than four months. The same rule applies to termite earth climbed onto trees, etc. The same rule applies to earthworm droppings, mouse droppings, dog droppings, cow-thorn-mud, etc. "Cow-thorn-mud" is mud cut by the hooves of cows. But if it is connected to the ground at its lower surface, it is not allowable even for one day. The same rule applies to one taking a clod of earth cut by a plough in a cultivated field. An old lodging, or one without a roof, or one with a damaged roof. More than four months fallen, it becomes counted as natural earth. Then the remaining roof tiles, or rafters and other materials, thinking, "I will take bricks, rafters, wall-bases, floorboards, palace-pillars," it is permissible to take them. If earth falls with them, there is no offense. But for one taking wall-earth, there is an offense. If one takes whatever is not wet, there is no offense. Inside the house, there is a pile of earth. When it has fallen for one day, they roof the house. If it is all wet, after four months, it is just natural earth. But if only its upper part is wet, and the inside is not wet, whatever is wet, having had it removed by proper agents with proper speech, the rest may be used as one wishes, because it is soaked with water. Indeed, only that which is bound together is natural earth, not the other. In the open air, there is an earthen wall. If it has fallen for more than four months, it becomes counted as natural earth. But the dust clinging to it, it is permissible to touch and take with a light hand. If it is a brick wall, it mostly stands in a hard place. It is permissible to dismantle it as one wishes. A pavilion pillar standing in the open, it is not permissible to take it by moving it here and there and breaking the earth. It is permissible to pull it straight up. For one taking other dry trees or dry stumps, the rule is the same. 74. For new construction, they go rolling a pillar, or a stone, or a tree, having lifted it with levers. There, the natural earth is broken. If they roll it with pure intention, there is no offense. But if they intend to break the earth by that means, there is an offense. For those dragging branches and the like, and for those splitting wood on the ground, the rule is the same. On the earth, it is not permissible to strike or insert anything, even bones, needles, thorns, and the like. It is not permissible to urinate thinking, "I will break the earth with a strong stream of urine." If one does so, it is broken. an offense, it is not allowable to rub with a broom, thinking, ‘‘I will make uneven ground even.’’ One should sweep only with the tip of the broom. Some strike the ground with a stick, scratch with a big toe, and walk repeatedly, breaking the ground, thinking, ‘‘We will show the place for walking.’’ All this is not allowable. But it is allowable to walk with a pure mind, practicing the ascetic life for the sake of exertion and effort. Some rub their hands on the ground, thinking, ‘‘We will clean our hands.’’ This is not allowable. But it is allowable to place a wet hand on the ground without rubbing, and take up dust. Some who are afflicted with itching and skin diseases rub their limbs on broken banks and such. This is not allowable. If one burns or causes to burn ground where plants grow, it is a pācittiya offense. Even if one cooks a bowl, as many places as one sets fire to or causes to set fire to, so many pācittiya offenses there are. Therefore, even when cooking a bowl, it should be cooked only in a place that has been cooked before. It is not allowable to place fire on unburnt ground. But it is allowable to place fire on top of a bowl-cooking pot. If one places it on wood, and that fire, burning the wood, goes and burns the ground, it is not allowable. The same applies to brick fragments and such. There too, it is allowable to place it only on bricks and such. Why? Because they are not fuel. Indeed, they do not count as fuel for the fire. It is not allowable to set fire to dry stumps, dry trees, and so on. However, if one sets fire, thinking, ‘‘I will extinguish it before it reaches the ground and then leave,’’ it is allowable. If one is unable to extinguish it later, due to its being beyond one’s control, there is no offense. If one is carrying a grass torch and drops it on the ground when one’s hand is burning, there is no offense. It is allowable to make fire by providing fuel at the place where it fell. And it is allowable to disturb all the ground that has been affected by heat in a burnt area. But if a monk, unknowingly, produces fire with a fire-drill, lifts it with his hand, and says, ‘‘What shall I do?’’ ‘‘ to be told, "Throw it!" If he says, "My hand is burning," he should be told, "Do it so it doesn't burn." But he should not be told, "Throw it on the ground." If, while his hand is burning, he throws it, since he did not throw it with the intention of "I will burn the earth," there is no offense. But it is permissible to make a fire in the place where it fell. "Know the pit for this pillar, know the large amount of earth, know the small amount of husk, give the large amount of earth, give the small amount of husk, bring earth, bring sand, there is a need for earth, there is a need for sand, make the pit for this pillar permissible, make this earth permissible, make this sand permissible"— in this way, it is permissible to have anything done with permissible terms. Sometimes, a person, while talking to someone about something else, stands scratching the ground with his big toe or a stick. In such a case, for one who scratches or breaks unintentionally, there is no offense. Thus, in the Collection of Vinaya Decisions Outside the Pāli Canon, The Discourse on Decisions Regarding Digging the Earth is concluded. 15. Discourse on Decisions Regarding Plant Life 75. "Plant life" is a designation for trees, vines, etc., born from five kinds of seeds. Here are these five kinds of seeds: root-seed, stem-seed, joint-seed, shoot-seed, and germ-seed. Among these, root-seed means turmeric, ginger, sweet flag, calamus, ativisa, katukarohiṇī, usīra, bhaddamuttaka, and whatever else grows from roots, comes into being from roots— this is called root-seed. Stem-seed means the sacred fig, banyan, pilakkha, udumbara, kacchaka, kapitthana, and whatever else grows from stems, comes into being from stems— this is called stem-seed. Joint-seed means sugarcane, bamboo, reed, and whatever else grows from joints, comes into being from joints— this is called joint-seed. Shoot-seed means basil, marjoram, hirivera, and whatever else grows from shoots, comes into being from shoots— this is called shoot-seed. Germ-seed means early grains and other grains, or whatever else there is that are born from seeds, that grow from seeds, this is called seed-plant (Pācittiya 91). Therein, one who perceives a living plant as a living plant, cuts or causes to cut, breaks or causes to break, cooks or causes to cook, it is a pācittiya offense. Indeed, for one who damages a living plant, it is a pācittiya offense; for one who damages the five kinds of seed-plants, which are exempt from the living plant rule, it is a dukkaṭa offense. 76. This seed-plant and living plant (Pācittiya Commentary 922) there is that which is water-based, there is that which is land-based. Therein, that which is water-based, such as mustard, sesame, and other seed-like plants, with leaves and without leaves, all kinds of algae, even including water-foam, is to be understood as a "living plant". Water-foam is stiff on top, rough in color, soft below, blue in color. Therein, for whichever algae whose root has descended and is established in the earth, for that, the earth is its place. That which moves in water, for that, water is its place. For one who damages that which is established in the earth, wherever it may be, or for one who uproots it and transfers it to another place, it is a pācittiya offense; for one who damages that which moves in water, it is also a pācittiya offense. However, to move it here and there with the hands for bathing, is permissible. Indeed, the entire water is its place, therefore, it is not considered to have been transferred to another place by that much. However, to intentionally lift it out of the water without water, is not permissible; to lift it with water and then put it back into the water, is permissible. Water-lilies, lotuses, and other aquatic vines and grasses,