English
give the benefits, saying: "We give it to him by whom our Kathina was received," the community of monks has no power. But if they give without consideration and depart, the community of monks has power. Therefore, if for the one who spread the Kathina, even the remaining robes are worn out, having been announced by the Sangha, robes should be given for their use as well. But only one formal act is valid. The remaining Kathina benefits, valuable robes, should be given according to the seniority of those who completed the rains retreat. In the absence of such seniority, they should be given starting from the senior-most seat, garub A portion should not be divided. But if there are many monasteries in one boundary, all the bhikkhus should gather together and spread the kathina in one place; it is not proper to spread it separately. "To you, bhikkhus, who have spread the kathina, five benefits will accrue: unannounced departure, departure without taking robes, group meals, robes as much as needed, and whatever robe arises there, that will be theirs." According to this saying, bhikkhus who have spread the kathina obtain these five benefits, such as unannounced departure. Therein, unannounced departure means going without announcing; it is said that there is no offense under the training rule of conduct as long as the kathina is not revoked. Departure without taking robes means going without taking a robe; it means being away from one's robe. Group meals means no offense under the training rule of group meals. Robes as much as needed means that as many robes as are needed are allowable, even if not formally designated or mentally resolved. And whatever robe arises there means that whatever Sanghika robe arises within that kathina-spreading boundary— be it a robe of a deceased person, or given to the Sangha, or brought from Sanghika produce there, or by any other means— that will be theirs. Thus, in the Collection of Vinaya Decisions Outside the Pāli Canon, The chapter on the decision regarding the spreading of the kathina is concluded. 30. Chapter on the Decision Regarding Heavy Articles 227. Here, "heavy articles" are these five heavy articles, as shown by the method beginning with "Bhikkhus, these five things are not to be given away, not to be disposed of by the Sangha, or by a group, or by an individual. Even if disposed of, they are not disposed of. Whoever disposes of them incurs an offense of grave transgression": the monastery, the monastery site; the dwelling, the dwelling site; the couch, the chair, the mattress, the pillow; the iron pot, the iron bowl, the iron water pot, the iron cauldron, the axe, the hatchet, the adze, the spade, the pickaxe; the creeper, the bamboo, the muñja grass, the pabbaja grass, the ordinary grass, the clay, the wooden articles, the clay articles. Therein (Cūḷa 321) A pleasure-grove is a flower-grove or a fruit-grove. A pleasure-grove site is a place set aside for the purpose of those same pleasure-groves, or, when those pleasure-groves are destroyed, the former land-portion of them. A dwelling is any kind of mansion or other lodging. A dwelling site is the place for its establishment. A couch is one of these four couches: a masāraka, a bundikābaddha, a kuḷīrapādaka, or an āhaccapādaka. A stool is one of these four stools, such as a masāraka. A cushion is one of five, such as a wool-cushion. A pillow is one of these: a tree-cotton, a creeper-cotton, or a poṭakī-cotton. An iron pot is a pot made of black iron, or copper, or any kind of iron. The same method applies to iron bowls and so on. Here, however, bhāṇaka means a jar. Vāraka means a pitcher. Kaṭāha is a kaṭāha (a large pan). In the case of axes and so on, and creepers and so on, there is nothing difficult to understand. And "five" is stated in terms of categories, but in terms of their nature, these are twenty-five kinds. For it has been said: "Two are of two categories, The third is of four categories; The fourth has nine divisions, The fifth has eight distinctions. "Thus, with five categories, The Lord, with five pure eyes, Declared the heavy requisites To be of twenty-five kinds." Herein is the discourse on determination: All these heavy requisites are called "not to be abandoned" in the chapter on lodgings, and "not to be broken up" in the Kīṭāgiri incident. But in the Parivāra, it is stated: "Not to be abandoned, not to be broken up, Five were declared by the Great Sage; For one who abandons, for one who uses, there is no offense, This question was considered by the skillful." (Pari. 479) Therefore, the intention here should be understood as: "not to be abandoned" and "not to be broken up" in the sense of complete destruction, but "no offense for one who abandons or uses" in the sense of exchange. 228. Herein is the progressive discourse: These five kinds of requisites are for robes, almsfood, and medicine. It is not proper to carry, but it is proper to exchange immovable for immovable, and heavy goods for heavy goods. However, as for immovable property, such as fields, building plots, ponds, and watercourses, it is not proper for the community of monks to consider, or to accept, or to agree to such. Only goods suitable for use are proper, as they are considered by the stewards. But as for pleasure groves, it is proper to exchange a pleasure grove for a pleasure grove, a pleasure grove plot for a pleasure grove plot, a monastery for a monastery, and a monastery plot for a monastery plot— all these four. Here is the method of exchange: If the community has a coconut grove far away, the stewards consume much of it, and even what they do not consume, they bring only a little after paying cart-hire. But other people, villagers living not far from that grove, have a grove near the monastery. They approach the community and ask for that grove in exchange for their own grove. The community should accept it after announcing, "It is agreeable to the community." Even if the monks have a thousand trees and the people have five hundred, it should not be said, "Your grove is small." Although this is small, yet it yields more income than the other. Even if it yields the same, it should still be accepted, as it can be enjoyed at any desired moment. But if the people have more trees, it should be said, "Do you not have more trees?" If they say, "Let our merit be extra, we give it to the community," it is proper to accept it after making it known. If the monks' trees are fruit-bearing, and the people's trees are not yet bearing fruit, even if they are not bearing, it should still be accepted, thinking, "They will bear fruit soon." If the people's trees are fruit-bearing, and the monks' trees are not yet bearing fruit, it should be said, "Are not your trees fruit-bearing?" If they give it, saying, "Please accept, Venerable Sirs, it will be our merit," it is proper to accept it after making it known. Thus, a pleasure grove should be exchanged for a pleasure grove. By this same method, By which a monastery site, a monastery, a monastery building site is to be exchanged for a park. And by a park site, whether large or small, parks, park sites, monasteries, monastery building sites are to be exchanged. How should a monastery be exchanged for a monastery? The Saṅgha has a house within the village. People have a palace in the middle of the monastery. Both are equal in value. If people ask for that house in exchange for that palace, it is permissible to accept. If the monks have a more valuable house, and when it is said, 'Our house is more valuable,' and they say, 'Although it is more valuable, it is unsuitable for renunciants. It is not possible for renunciants to live there. But this is suitable. Take it.' Even so, it is permissible to accept. But if the people's house is more valuable, it should be said, 'Is not your house more valuable?' But if they say, 'Let it be, venerable sirs, it will be merit for us. Take it,' it is permissible to accept. Thus, a monastery should be exchanged for a monastery. In the same way, a monastery building site, a park, a park site, should be exchanged for a monastery. And by a monastery building site, whether expensive or inexpensive, monasteries, monastery building sites, parks, park sites are to be exchanged. Thus, the exchange of immovable property for immovable property should be understood. But in the exchange of heavy articles for heavy articles, whether a couch or a chair is large or small, even if it has four-inch legs, and was made by village boys playing in sand-houses, from the time it is given to the Saṅgha, it becomes a heavy article. Even if kings, chief ministers, and so on, give a hundred couches or a thousand couches at once, all suitable couches should be accepted. Having accepted them, they should be given with the instruction, 'Use them as communal property, in order of seniority.' They should not be given individually. Excess couches, having been arranged in storehouses and so on, it is permissible to place bowls and robes on them. A couch given outside the boundary, saying, 'We give it to the Saṅgha,' should be given to the Saṅgha's elder's dwelling place. Now. If there are many couches there, there is no specific arrangement for the couch. Where there is a need in one's dwelling place, there it should be given with: "Enjoy it as communal property." If one obtains a hundred other couches for an expensive couch, worth a hundred or a thousand, they should be exchanged and taken. Not only couch for couch, but also parks, park-sites, monasteries, monastery-sites, seats, cushions, and pillows are suitable for exchange. This method applies to seats, cushions, and pillows as well. Among these, what is improper should not be used; what is proper should be used as communal property. What is improper or expensive, or proper, should be exchanged for the mentioned items. There is no cushion or pillow that is considered light property. 229. Iron pot, iron bowl,