English
17. Discourse on the decision regarding what should be done with beds, chairs, and other communal lodgings. 82. "Having spread a bed in a communal dwelling, he departs" means having spread a bed in a communal dwelling, departing from the dwelling with the desire to stay elsewhere. Here is the decision: "Whatever bhikkhu, having spread a bed or caused a bed to be spread in a communal dwelling, when departing, neither takes it up nor causes it to be taken up, or departs without asking, commits an offense of pācittiya." (Pāci. 115) According to this statement, having personally spread a bed or caused it to be spread by another in a communal dwelling, without having taken it up or performed other such actions, for one who crosses the boundary of a walled monastery, or the precincts of an unwalled one, there is an offense of pācittiya. There, "bedding" means a cushion, a mat, an upper covering, a ground covering, a mat of reeds, a piece of hide, a sitting mat, a counter-covering, a grass mat, a leaf mat – these are ten kinds. There, "cushion" means a bed cushion or a chair cushion. "Mat" (cimilikā) means one made to protect the color of a floor prepared with plaster, etc.; having spread it below, they spread a reed mat above. "Upper covering" means a covering or counter-covering to be spread on top of beds and chairs. "Ground covering" means a modification of reed mats, etc., to be spread on the ground. "Mat of reeds" (taṭṭikā) means a mat made from palm leaves or bark. "Piece of hide" means any hide, even that of a lion, tiger, leopard, or hyena, etc. Indeed, in the commentaries, no hide is seen to be forbidden for use as lodging. Therefore, lion, tiger... The prohibition of mats and the like should be understood as their avoidance. "Nisīdana" means a mat. "Paccattharaṇa" means a cover, a rug— that much is said. "Tiṇasanthāra" means a spread of any kind of grass. The same method applies to a spread of leaves. Thus, this ten-fold bedding, having spread it or had it spread in a monastic dwelling, one departing should depart after asking permission. When asking permission, if there is a bhikkhu, the bhikkhu should be asked permission. If he is not there, a novice. If he is not there, a caretaker. If he is not there, the one who had the dwelling built, the owner of the dwelling. Or anyone in his family should be asked permission. If even he is not there, one should place the bed on four stones, place the remaining beds and chairs on the bed, pile up the ten-fold bedding, such as cushions, on top, put away wooden articles and earthen articles, close the doors and windows, fulfill the duty of a departing one, and then go. If the lodging leaks, and grass or bricks have been brought for roofing, if one is able, it should be roofed. If one cannot, the beds and chairs should be placed in a non-leaking spot, and then one should go. If everything leaks, if one is able, it should be placed in the houses of lay followers in the village. If they do not agree, saying, "Venerable sir, what belongs to the Sangha is serious; we fear fire, etc.," it is permissible to place the bed on stones even in the open, put away the rest in the manner previously stated, cover it with grass and leaves, and then go. For even a small part that remains there will be helpful to other bhikkhus who come there. However, one who goes after taking it away should remove all the bed, chair, and door panels, gather them, hang them on the robe-pole, and then go. A bhikkhu who comes later and stays should also do the same when placing the bed and chair again and going. One who stays having spread the bedding outside the hut from inside the hut, at the time of departure, should again place it in the spot where it was taken from. should not be put away. The same rule applies to one who, having descended from the upper palace, dwells in the lower palace. Having arranged a couch and chair in the night-quarters and day-quarters, when going out, they should be put back in the same place from which they were taken. 83. Now, regarding lodgings, this is the determination of what should be asked permission for and what should not be asked permission for: As long as there is a long hall or a leaf-hut on the ground, or a house built on tree trunks, which is a place where termites arise, when departing from there, one must depart only after asking permission. For if it is not looked after for a few days, it will become a termite mound. But if it is a lodging built on a rock surface or on rock pillars, or a cave in a rock formation, or a lodging plastered with lime, where there is no suspicion of termites, when departing from there, it is permissible to go whether one asks permission or not, but asking permission is proper. If even in such a lodging, termites climb up on one side, one must go only after asking permission. But if a visiting bhikkhu, having taken a communal lodging, dwells without taking his own lodging, following a bhikkhu who is present, as long as that bhikkhu does not take it, that lodging is the responsibility of the former bhikkhu. But when that bhikkhu takes the lodging and dwells by his own authority, from then on, it is the responsibility of the visiting bhikkhu. If both divide and take it, it is the responsibility of both. In the Mahāpaccariya, however, it is said: If two or three together arrange it, at the time of departure, all must ask permission. If among them, the first one to go thinks, "The last one will look after it," and goes, it is permissible, but the last one is not free from responsibility by that thought. Many send one person to spread it out; at the time of departure, either all must ask permission, or one person must be sent to ask permission. Couches, chairs, and the like, brought from elsewhere, after dwelling elsewhere, must be returned to that very place at the time of departure. If, while one is dwelling, having brought them from elsewhere, another elder comes, he should not be prevented, saying, "My “Venerable sir, what has been brought from another dwelling, please make it normal,” this should be said. When he agrees, “I will do so,” the other is allowed to go. For one who uses it as communal property, even if taken elsewhere, if it is lost or worn out or stolen by thieves, there is no offense. But for one who uses it as personal property, there is an offense. However, for one who uses another’s bed or chair, whether as communal property or as personal property, if it is lost, there is an offense. Having spread a bed within the monastery, thinking, “I will come today and look after it,” thus being concerned, he goes to the other side of the river or to another village, and wherever the thought to go arose, staying right there, he sends someone to ask permission, or if he is troubled by some obstacle, such as a flood, a king, or thieves, and cannot return, in such a case, there is no offense. But within the precincts of the monastery, or in a service hall, or in a pavilion, or at the foot of a tree, having spread a bed or had one spread, if he departs without taking it up or having it taken up, or if he goes without asking permission, it is a dukkata offense. For when a bed of the ten kinds as described, is spread in a protected place like an inner chamber, and he goes away, since the bed, which is also a lodging, is destroyed by termites, and becomes a mere anthill, therefore a pacittiya offense is stated. But if it is spread outside, in a service hall and so on, and he goes away, only the bed itself might be destroyed due to the place being unprotected, not the lodging. Therefore, a dukkata offense is stated here. However, since a bed or chair cannot be quickly eaten by termites, therefore, even if it is spread within the monastery and he goes away, it is a dukkata offense. Within the precincts of the monastery, in a service hall, in a pavilion, or at the foot of a tree, if he spreads it and departs, it is a dukkata offense. 84. “Whatever bhikkhu, having spread a communal bed or chair, or cushion, or mat, in the open air, or having had it spread, if he departs without taking it up or having it taken up, or if he goes without asking permission, it is a pacittiya offense. (Pācittiya 109) But for communal beds, chairs, etc., four of them, having spread them out in the open, or having had them spread out, without having put them away, even if one goes saying, "I will come back today," for a man of medium strength, if it exceeds a clod-throw, it is an offense. Here, a 'koccha' is made of bark, or usīra grass, or muñja grass, or pabbaja grass. It is wide at the bottom and top, narrow in the middle, made and bound in the shape of a drum. Indeed, they even make it covered in lion or tiger skin in the middle; there is no unsuitable hide here. For a lodging, even one made of gold is permissible, therefore, it is valuable. "Monks, I allow you for eight months, in a non-rainy designated place, in a pavilion or at the foot of a tree, where crows or kites do not soil, to deposit lodging there." (Pācittiya 110) But when the rainy season months are not thus specified, four in winter, four in summer, for eight months, in a branch-pavilion, or a plank-pavilion, or at the foot of a tree, it is permissible to deposit it. But at the foot of a tree where crows, or kites, or other birds dwell permanently, having made nests, it should not be deposited. By "eight months," in those regions where it does not rain during the rainy season, it is not permissible to deposit it for four months. By "in a non-rainy designated place," where it rains in winter, it is not permissible to deposit it in the open even in winter. But in summer, everywhere is cloudless, clear, and low. At such a time, for some reason, it is permissible to deposit a bed or chair in the open. 85. The duty of one in the open should also be known. For if he has a personal bed, he should sleep there. One taking a communal bed should take one woven with reeds or bark.