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Similar to these are the earth of a kasina (meditation object) and a plough; If unbroken, connected to the ground, that would be natural earth. Even a dwelling that is unroofed, or with a ruined roof; After the four months, one should not disturb what has grown (there). Then, with the intention "I will take a rafter, a wall, a pillar, or a floorboard;" It is proper to take (it). If, while taking bricks etc., mud falls; There is no offense, but there is an offense if one takes the mud. If there is a heap of mud that has not grown (from the ground) inside a house; And it has not grown (on its own), it is always permissible for bhikkhus. If it has rained again in the house, and they cover the house; After the four months, all (of it)... is wet, it is not allowable. 971. Whatever is wet there, that much is not allowable; Whatever is not wet there, that is indeed allowable. 972. If it is moistened with water, and is attached to the ground; And that has become earth, it is not allowable thereafter. 973. And a wall in the open air, made of clay, if it is fallen; After four months, it is said, "it has become earth." 974. If, without rubbing the fine dust stuck there, in due measure; He touches it with a wet hand, and takes it, it is allowable. 975. If it is a brick wall, mostly on the ground; It stands in that place, therefore, he may break it as he wishes. 976. A pillar standing in the open air, if he moves it here and there; And breaks the earth, it is not allowable to take it. 977. And if he takes another dry tree, or a stump; This same rule of fault applies, not if he pulls it straight up. 978. If he lifts up a stone or a tree, it is allowable; There is no fault for one with a pure mind, if the earth breaks. 979. For those splitting wood, and pulling branches and so forth; This same rule is stated, for one with a pure mind regarding the ground. 980. A thorn, a needle, a bone, or a peg in the ground; To hammer in, to drive in, is not allowable for a bhikkhu. 981. "I will break the earth with a stream of urine"; For a bhikkhu, to do his urine in this way is not allowable. 982. There is no offense for one doing it, if the earth breaks; To level it, to make it even, to rub it is not allowable. 983. To scratch the ground with a big toe is also not allowable; And to break it with the feet, and to walk about in that way. 984. If, touching the earth with a wet hand, he takes fine dust without rubbing; And washes his hand, it is allowable. 985. If he himself burns the ground, or causes others to burn it; There is an offense, even for a bhikkhu burning a leaf. 986. In as many places as he sets fire, or causes it to be set; In that many places, the bhikkhu sometimes there are offenses of expiation. 987. For a bhikkhu, to place fire on the ground is not permissible; But to place it in a pot or a pan for cooking is permissible. 988. To place fire on top of firewood is not permissible; If, burning them, it goes and burns the ground. 989. The same rule is stated for brick houses and the like; It is permissible to place it only on top of bricks and so on. 990. Why, then? Because they are not fuel; To set fire to a stump or a dry tree is not permissible. 991. There is no offense for one who takes a grass torch and goes; If, when it is burning in his hand, he drops it on the ground. 992. Then, at the place where it fell, giving it fuel; It is permissible to make a fire, so it is stated in the Mahāpaccariya. 993. For one who perceives it as earth, even in non-earth; And for one who is in doubt in both cases, a dukkata is prescribed. 994. There is no offense for one who says, "Know this, bring this, give this"; And it is with intention, and it arises from three sources. The discourse on digging the earth. The first chapter on false speech. 995. For a bhikkhu, regarding what is, what has been, or a living plant; An offense of expiation is declared for causing its destruction. 996. That (living plant) is of two kinds: aquatic and terrestrial; Among them, it includes sesame seeds and the like, with leaves or without leaves. 997. All kinds of moss are to be understood as aquatic; For disturbing all of that, there would be an offense of expiation. 998. But it is permissible to part it with the hand and bathe; For all of that place is entirely water. 999. But to remove it from the water without water; Is not permissible for a bhikkhu, for that is a change of place. 1000. Having lifted it with water, and placing it in water; It is permissible, so it is stated in all the commentaries. 1001. For one who removes vines and grasses from water; Or disturbs them there, there is an offense of expiation for the bhikkhu. 1002. For disturbing those already uprooted by others, a dukkata. For from where they go, into the seed-growth category. Of trees cut on dry land, the green stump that remains; Its upward growth, is earth-growth category. Of coconuts and the like, the stump does not grow upwards; Therefore its growth is made, of the seed-growth category. Likewise the plantain's stump, when fruited, is declared; The stump not fruited, is considered earth-growth. As long as the plantain has fruited, so long it has green leaves; For reeds, bamboos, grasses, this is the same decision. But starting from the top, when this bamboo dries up; Then it is included, by name, in seed-growth. Of Indasāla trees and the like, the category is seed-growth; But of those cut and left, it should be known by the Vinaya expert. For pavilions and the like, if they dig them up; When the root-leaf has emerged, it is earth-growth category. Or for those whose root alone, or leaf alone; Even if emerged, their growth is made, of the seed-growth category. But a palm seed with its stem, is called seed-growth; When the green shoot, emerges, then it is not. Breaking the coconut husk, like a tooth-pick, the sprout; When it emerges, that too, is called seed-growth. When there is a leaf-shoot, resembling a deer's horn; Even if the root has not emerged, it is called earth-growth. As long as the sprouts, of rice and the like, are not green; Even if leaves have emerged, they are of the seed-growth category. Four recitations are finished. For mangoes, rose-apples, and the like, this is the same decision; Or any orchid or other thing, that grows on a tree. The tree would be its place, it is not proper to disturb it; For rootless creepers and the like, this is the same decision. Moss on walls and the like, is called "top-seed"; As long as two or three leaves, have not arisen, so long it is so. But when leaves have arisen, it is a ground for a pācittiya; Therefore, having rubbed it, it is not proper to remove it. For water pots and so on, outside the moss, it is a dukkaṭa. It is indeed not usable inside, even for cakes and so on, a kaṇṇaka. Things like rock-lichen, moss, algae, and fungi, are dukkaṭa-objects, one should declare them as not allowable. But a flowering mushroom, has become unusable. If it is a bud, it is a dukkaṭa-object. Having damaged the bark of a tree, and also the inner bark, and the sap in a fresh shoot, it is not allowable to take. On trees like the Nuhi and so on, or on palm leaves and so on, for one who writes on things born there, one should declare a pācittiya. A flower or a yellow leaf, or a fruit, or even a ripe one, for one who makes it fall by shaking, a pācittiya is declared. Having bent down a fruit-bearing branch, it is allowable to give to one who takes. If one desires to eat oneself, it is not allowable to give in this way. Having lifted up someone else, it is allowable to make them take. In the case of gathering flowers, this is the same decision. Of those trees that grow, their branches too, of those with branches, without making it allowable, for one who damages, it is a dukkaṭa. This is the same method, even for fresh ginger and so on. It is a dukkaṭa for seed-plants, because it was declared by the Great Seer. "Cut the tree, cut the creeper, pull up the tuber, and also the root; Uproot it!" - even to say this, is allowable, as it is not specified. "The mango, the rose-apple, or the neem, cut, break, uproot!" - or to say this, even taking the name, is allowable, as it is not specified. "This tree, this vine, this bark, this creeper; cut, break!" - or to say this, by specifying, is not allowable. Having filled baskets with sugarcane pieces, if they bring them, all is made allowable, when one is made allowable. But if sugarcane stalks are tied together, if they are sugarcane stalks, but making it allowable, it is allowable to pierce a stalk. By a creeper or a rope, by which they are tied indeed, because it is like a container, it is not allowable to pierce that. 35. If rice mixed with pepper pods is brought, Even if one grain of rice is pierced, it is allowable. 1036. This same rule is stated for sesame, rice grains, and so forth; Even in a wood apple that is whole, it should be made allowable. 1037. If the pulp moves inside, having left the shell; That wood apple should be broken and made allowable. 1038. For one who perceives living things in non-living plant seeds, Even for one who is doubtful there, there is an offense of wrong-doing. 1039. For one who does not perceive it as such, for one who is unintentional and unmindful, And for one who is insane and so forth, no offense is declared. 1040. This is of three origins, an action released by perception; It is a bodily action, a verbal action, of three consciousnesses and three feelings. The story of living plants. 1041. When an act has been performed by the Sangha, for one who speaks otherwise and obstructs it; And for one who does it again, there are two offenses of expiation. 1042. Three expiations for what is right, three wrong-doings for what is wrong; And for one who speaks thus when an act has been imposed, there is a wrong-doing. 1043.