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people eat and reside; do not go elsewhere!", having called friends and relatives, all having consulted together, having established regular duties in the monastery, and ticket-meals and the like, and Rains-residence, they request, "Venerable sir, reside right here!" It is proper for all to accept. And all this is both allowable and blameless. But in the Kurundi, it is said: "When asked 'Where are you going?', one should say 'to such and such a place.' When asked 'Why are you going there?', the reason should be told." But both of these are blameless due to purity of mind. This is called the duty of a guest monk. But this is the duty of a resident monk. Indeed, beforehand, the monastery should be maintained by the residents. Repairs of broken and fallen things, and furnishings, should be done. Night-quarters, day-quarters, latrines, urinals, meditation halls, monastery paths, and so on – all these should be maintained. Whitewashing the shrine, oiling the bare platform, maintaining beds and chairs, and so on – all this too should be done, (thinking) "Those wishing to reside for the Rains, having come, doing recitation, questioning, meditation practice, and so on, will reside comfortably." By those who have done the preparations, from the fifth day of the bright half of Āsāḷha, the Rains-residence should be requested. Where should it be requested? From where it is normally obtained. But those by whom it has not been given before, they should be asked. That is not proper. Why should it be asked? Sometimes indeed people give, sometimes afflicted by famine and so on, they do not give. There, if the rain-retreat robes are taken without asking those who will not give, there is an obstruction to the gain for the monks who have taken them. Therefore, it should be taken only after asking. By the one asking, it should be said: “The time for taking your rain-retreat robes is near.” If they say: “Venerable Sir, this year we are afflicted by famine and so on, we are unable to give,” or “What we gave before, we will give less than that,” or “Now cotton is easily available, what we gave before, we will give more than that,” having considered that, in a suitable manner, the rain-retreat robes for the monks in their dwelling should be taken. If people say: “Whoever receives our rain-retreat robes, let him provide water for three months, let him maintain the monastery path, let him maintain the stupa courtyard and the Bodhi tree courtyard, let him sprinkle water on the Bodhi trees,” to whom that falls, it should be told to him. But if a village is at a distance of one or two leagues, and if the families there, having placed a deposit, give rain-retreat robes in installments, even after asking those families, the rain-retreat robes should be taken for one residing in their dwelling, having performed the duties. But if a rag-robe wearer resides in their dwelling, and seeing him arrived, they say: “We will give you the rain-retreat robes,” he should inform the Saṅgha. If those families do not wish to give to the Saṅgha, and say: “We will give only to you,” a monk of the same group should be told: “Perform the duties and take it.” But for a rag-robe wearer, this is not proper. Thus, people who give out of faith should be asked. In that case, however, the stewards should be asked. How should they be asked? “Friends, will there be robe-coverings for the Saṅgha?” If they say: “It will be, Venerable Sir, we will give a nine-hand-span robe to each, take the rain-retreat robes,” then it should be taken. Even if they say: "There are no robes, but there is cloth, please take it, venerable sirs," it is permissible to take it, even if it is cloth. For whatever is proper, from the things given into the hands of the stewards, saying "Please use these proper requisites," whatever is proper, all of it is permitted to be used. That which is given here specifically for almsfood, and for requisites for the sick, when converting it into robes, it must be converted after making an announcement for the benefit of the Sangha. But that which is given specifically for dwellings is heavy property. But that which is given specifically as robes, or as the four requisites, when converting it into robes, there is no need for an announcement. And when making an announcement, it must be done on behalf of individuals, not on behalf of the Sangha. An announcement is not permissible for gold and silver, or for raw grain. But it is permissible for proper requisites, such as robes and rice. This, however, should be done thus: "Now there is plenty of food, almsfood is easy to obtain. The bhikkhus are troubled by robes. It is agreeable to make robes for the bhikkhus from such and such a portion of rice." Or: "Requisites for the sick are easy to obtain, or there are no sick people. It is agreeable to make robes for the bhikkhus from such and such a portion of rice." Having thus considered the robe requisites, when the time for dwellings is announced, and the Sangha has gathered, a dwelling-receiver should be appointed. And it is said that two should be appointed by the one appointing. For thus, a junior will take for a senior, and a senior for a junior. But in large monasteries, like the Mahāvihāra, three or four people should be appointed. In the Kurundi, however, it is said that it is permissible to appoint eight or even sixteen people. Their appointment is permissible by formal motion or by announcement. By those appointed bhikkhus, the dwellings should be observed. Shrine house, Bodhi tree house, sitting house, broom shed, wood shed, latrine, brick hall, carpenter's hall, gatehouse, water pavilion, path, pond— these, indeed, Dwellings, a monastery, a half-gabled house, a mansion, a turreted house, a cave, a pavilion, a tree-root, a bamboo clump— these are dwellings. They should be assigned. 220. And by one assigning, from the saying: “I allow, monks, first to count the monks, having counted the monks, to count the sleeping places, having counted the sleeping places, to assign by seniority,” first, having counted the monks in the monastery, the bed-places should be counted. Then, each bed-place should be assigned to each monk. If the bed-places are in excess, they should be assigned by seniority in the monastery. If the monasteries are also in excess, they should be assigned by seniority in the precinct. If there are still excesses in the precincts, another portion should be given again. Indeed, when there are very few monks, two or three precincts should be given to each monk. But if, after the second portion has been assigned, another monk comes, that portion should not be given to him against one’s will. But if the one who assigned it, gives that second portion or first portion according to his will, it is permissible. “Monks, a dwelling should not be assigned to one standing outside the boundary. Whoever assigns it, there is an offense of wrong-doing.” According to this saying, it should not be assigned to one standing outside the boundary of the precinct. But it is certainly allowed even for one standing far away within the boundary of the precinct. “I allow, monks, to give a suitable sleeping place to the sick.” According to this saying, whoever is sick with cough, asthma, fistula, dysentery, etc., and needs to have spittoons, bowls for excrement, etc., placed, or is a leper, who soils the dwelling, to such a one, a dwelling should be given aside, in a lower mansion, a leaf-hut, or similar. For one who, by dwelling, does not soil the dwelling, even a superior sleeping place should be given. And whoever performs any medicinal treatment such as oil-drinking, purgation, nasal treatment, etc., all such are sick. To them too, a suitable dwelling should be given, having considered it. “Monks, two should not be obstructed by one. Whoever obstructs…” "a dukkaṭa offense" (Cv. 319) According to this, one person should not take two lodgings. Even if he takes them, by the later taking, the former taking is annulled. Indeed, by taking, a taking is annulled; by taking, an attachment is annulled; by attachment, a taking is annulled; by attachment, an attachment is annulled. How? Here, someone (Cv.A. 319) on the day of the Rains-retreat invitation, having taken a lodging in one monastery, goes to an adjacent monastery and takes one there too. For him, by this taking, the former taking is annulled. Another, having merely formed an attachment, thinking, "I will dwell here," goes to an adjacent monastery and takes a lodging there. For him, by this very taking, the former attachment is annulled. One, thinking, "I will dwell here," either takes a lodging or forms an attachment. Then he goes to an adjacent monastery and forms an attachment, thinking, "Now I will dwell right here." Thus, for him, either the taking or the attachment is annulled by the attachment. In all cases, it stands with the later taking or the later attachment. But if someone, having taken a lodging in one monastery, goes, thinking, "I will dwell in another monastery," for him, the taking of the lodging is annulled upon crossing the boundary of the precinct. However, if he goes, thinking, "It will be comfortable there, I will dwell. If not, I will return." And having known the discomfort, he returns later, it is permissible. And by the one who takes a lodging, having taken the lodging, the Rains-residence should be taken. If, when taking, there are two requisites for robes: that which belongs to the Sangha and that which is given by faith, having taken whichever the bhikkhus wish to take first, the other should be taken starting from its fixed period. The Elder Mahāsumma said: "If, when lodgings are being taken by the head of a precinct, and it is not enough for the bhikkhus, and one precinct gets great gain, receiving ten or twelve robes, that should be untangled and distributed among other monasteries that have no gain, and should be taken by other bhikkhus as well."