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B030108Vinayālaṅkāra ṭīkā(vinaya pitaka adornment re commentary)

English

‘Whatever bhikkhu, having been invited and having eaten, goes to families before or after the meal without asking a bhikkhu present, except at the proper time, incurs a pācittiya offence. And the proper time there is the time of robe-giving, the time of robe-making; this is the proper time there.’ This is the fifth rule in the Acelaka Vagga (Pāci. 299-300). ‘Staying apart from robes’ means allowing dawn to break without having one or all of the three robes within arm's reach. Even if one does this, an offence does not occur under the second kathina rule, this is the intention. And there, the second kathina rule is: ‘Having completed the robe... But when the kathina has been taken up by a bhikkhu, if a bhikkhu should spend even one night apart from his three robes, except by the bhikkhus' consent, it is an offense of relinquishment and expiation. Thus comes the second rule of relinquishment (Pārā. 472). By "group meal," it is connected that no offense is said to occur by this rule of group meal. Therein, a group meal is when, by the bhikkhus' request "Give us food," or by the donors' invitation "Take our food," or by an improper custom, four or more bhikkhus receive food together and eat together. The rule concerning group meals is: "In a group meal, except at the proper time, it is an offense of expiation. Therein, this is the proper time: the time of sickness, the time of robe-giving, the time of robe-making, the time of journeying, the time of embarking on a boat, the time of a great assembly, the time of a bhikkhu's meal. This is the proper time therein." Thus comes the second rule in the food section (Pāci. 215). That which is not determined, not designated, is permissible, meaning there is no offense by the first kathina rule. Therein, the first kathina rule is: "But when the kathina has been taken up by a bhikkhu, after the robe-making is finished, an extra robe may be kept for a maximum of ten days. For one who exceeds that, it is an offense of relinquishment and expiation." Thus comes the first rule of relinquishment (Pārā. 472). By "within the kathina-spread boundary" is meant the vicinity boundary. "Robe of the dead" means the robe of the dead. By "its production" means by what belongs to the Sangha, such as monastery grounds, gardens, fields, plots of land, etc. Whatever Sangha robe is produced, that will belong to them. By this, only the robe belongs to the bhikkhus who spread the kathina. It shows that other things like alms food, medicine, etc., belong to the Sangha as it comes. Thus endowed with eight qualities, a conscientious bhikkhu, well-behaved; Should perform the spreading of the kathina, and also the taking up, properly. Thus, in the Vinayālaṅkāra, which is a commentary on the Vinayasaṅgaha, the decision on the spreading of the kathina. The Chapter on Ornaments The Twenty-ninth Chapter. 30. The Discourse on the Determination of Heavy Property 227. Having thus explained the determination of the kathina, now to show the determination of heavy property and so on, it is said, "Among these, 'heavy property'..." Therein, "heavy" means – "In a male, a teacher and so on, heavy, also in mother and father; Heavy in three, in the great, and in the difficult to digest and not light." – Among the many meanings stated, it means "not light." The word "bhaṇḍa" (property) in "vessels and other requisites, property, also original capital" here means "vessels and other requisites." The etymological meaning is: they arise, they become manifest, thus "garūni" (heavy); they are to be desired, thus "bhaṇḍāni" (property); they are heavy and they are property, thus "garubhaṇḍāni" (heavy property), which are monasteries and other things. Thus, by this method, these five things shown by the Blessed One in the chapter on lodgings are to be understood as heavy property. "A bed with a masāraka leg" means one made by boring holes in the bed legs and inserting cross-bars into them. "Bound with a bundikā" means one made by joining the bed legs with cross-bars, in the manner of a folding bed. "A bed with a kuḷīrapādaka leg" means one made with legs resembling the legs of an ass, a ram, and so on. Or any bed with curved legs is called "kuḷīrapādaka." "A bed with an āhaccapādaka leg" is, as stated later in the Pāli itself (Pāci. 131), "a bed called āhaccapādaka is made by boring into the parts." Therefore, a bed made by boring holes for the cross-bars, inserting the leg-ends into them, and then fixing a nail from above, should be understood as an āhaccapādaka bed. The same method applies to stools. "One of the five such as a woollen mattress" means one of these five mattresses: a woollen mattress, a cotton mattress, a bark mattress, a grass mattress, a leaf mattress. "Five mattresses" means mattresses filled with the five, such as wool. Their counting is indeed by the counting of the stuffing. Therein, by "wool" not only sheep's wool is taken, but excluding human hair, any hair of permissible or impermissible flesh-producing animals, birds, and quadrupeds, all is included here by the term "wool." beneficial. Therefore, it is permissible to make a cushion with any one of the six robes or six secondary robes, and put all of it inside to make a cushion. As for sheep's wool, even if it is not put inside, but the blanket itself is folded four or five times and put inside, it is still considered a wool cushion. Among cloth cushions and so on, a cloth cushion is made by collecting or putting inside any new or old cloth. A bark cushion is made by putting inside any bark. A grass cushion is made by putting inside any grass. A leaf cushion is made by putting inside any leaf, except for pure tamāla leaves. Tamāla leaves, however, are permissible when mixed with others, but not when pure. There is no fixed size for a cushion. A bed cushion, a seat cushion, a floor cushion, a walking-path cushion, a foot-wiping cushion— their size should be determined according to their purpose and one's own preference. It is stated in the Kurundi that these five kinds of stuffing, such as wool, which are permissible for a cushion, are also permissible for a masūraka. Here, "masūraka" means a leather cushion. By this, it is established that it is permissible to use a masūraka. For a pillow, there are three kinds of stuffing: tree stuffing, creeper stuffing, and poṭakī stuffing. Here, "tree stuffing" means the stuffing of any trees, such as the silk-cotton tree. "Creeper stuffing" means the stuffing of any creepers, such as the milk-creeper. "Poṭakī stuffing" means the stuffing of any grass species, such as poṭakī grass, even sugarcane stalks and so on. In the Sāratthadīpanī, however, it is stated: "Poṭakī stuffing means era-grass stuffing." By these three, all plant life is included. For there is no other plant life apart from trees, creepers, and grasses. Therefore, the stuffing of any plant life is permissible for a pillow. But when it comes to a cushion, all of this is called "unsuitable stuffing." And not only this stuffing for a pillow, but also swan's Of all birds, like crows, and of all quadrupeds, like lions, even the hair is permissible. But any flower, like the Priyaṅgu flower or Bakula flower, is not permissible. A Tamāla leaf alone is not permissible, but mixed, it is permissible. The five kinds of wool and cotton allowed for mattresses are also permissible. But half-body pillows are not permissible. "Half-body" means the size of half the body, on which one rests or places from the waist up to the head. But a head-sized pillow is permissible. A head-sized pillow is that whose width, when measured between two corners of its three corners, is one span and four fingers, and whose middle part is one fist-cubit. As for length, it is said in the Kurundi that it is one and a half cubits or two cubits. This is the maximum limit for a head-sized pillow; beyond this, it is not permissible. Below this, it is permissible, as stated in the Commentary (Cūḷavagga Commentary 297). In that regard, taking the phrase "between two corners of its three corners," some make the cloth to be placed at both ends of the pillow triangular. They call this place "the knot place." But in the Vimativinodanī (Vimativinodanī Tīkā, Cūḷavagga 2.297), "a head-sized pillow" means where the entire head, along with the neck, can be placed. Showing that its width is one fist-cubit, it states "as for width," etc. This is a description of the size of the cloth to be placed at both ends of the pillow. By means of this, the width of the pillow is defined. That, sewn either round or square, such that the widest part, from edge to edge, is one fist-cubit in width, should be sewn thus. More than this is not permissible. That cloth placed at the ends, when folded double, edge to edge, becomes triangular. Among those three corners, the distance between two corners is one span and four fingers. The middle part, from edge to edge, is one fist-cubit. It is a cubit, this is its maximum measure, because it is said. The cloth to be placed at both ends of the pillow is not naturally three-cornered, but when folded by bringing end to end, it becomes so. Therefore, whether that cloth is round or square, when measured after being folded, it is indeed three-cornered. And the space between the two corners is more than four finger-breadths, a span. And the middle part of that cloth is a fist-cubit. It is understood that the middle part of the pillow, by the measure of that same cloth, is also a fist-cubit. "A blanket... etc. ... goes by the designation of a woollen mattress," because it is generally stated, it should be understood that even an unsuitable woollen covering like a rug, when placed in a mattress, is permissible for sleeping. "Masūraka" means a leather mattress, but a leather pillow, even if filled with cotton, is not permissible, it is stated in the Vimativinodanī (Vi. Vi. Ṭī. Cūḷavagga 2.297). However, in the Sāratthadīpanī (Sārattha. Ṭī. Cūḷavagga 3.