Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 85Upholstery

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

85. COTTON PADDING

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, the group of six monks stuffed cotton wool (dūla-mien) into large mattresses, small mattresses, wooden beds, and rope beds. The laypeople who saw this all criticized them together, saying: "These Śākyan monastics have no sense of shame, have no compassion, and destroy the lives of living beings. Outwardly they claim, 'I am practicing the true Dharma,' yet they stuff cotton wool into wooden beds, rope beds, large mattresses, and small mattresses, just like kings and great ministers. How is this in any way the true Dharma?"

The monks heard this, and among them were those who were of few desires and contentment, who lived the ascetic practices, were fond of training in the precepts, and knew shame. They criticized the group of six monks: "Why do you stuff cotton wool into rope beds, wooden beds, large mattresses, and small mattresses?"

The monks went to where the Blessed One was, bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet, then sat to one side, and reported this matter fully to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the community of monks and rebuked the group of six monks:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accord with proper conduct, not in accord with the way of monastics, not in accord with pure practice, not in accord with proper behavior — you have done what should not be done. Why do you stuff cotton wool into rope beds, wooden beds, large mattresses, and small mattresses, causing laypeople to criticize you?"

Having rebuked the group of six monks, the Buddha said to the monks:

"These foolish men are a field where many seeds of defilement are sown; they are the first to transgress this precept. From this day forward, I shall set forth the precept for the monks, in ten clauses, up to the clause on the long endurance of the true Dharma."

The precept should be stated thus:

Whatever monk stuffs cotton wool into a large mattress, small mattress, rope bed, or wooden bed — once the stuffing is complete — it is a pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRECEPT

Monk: as explained above.

Cotton wool (dūla): the cotton of the white poplar tree, the cotton of the willow tree, the cotton of the bulrush.

Wooden bed: there are five types, as above.

Rope bed: also five types, as already explained previously.

Large mattress: used for lying down.

Small mattress: used for sitting.

If a monk himself stuffs cotton wool into a wooden bed, rope bed, large mattress, or small mattress, and it is completed, it is a pācittiya; if not completed, it is a duṣkṛta. If he instructs another to do it and it is completed, it is a pācittiya; if not completed, it is a duṣkṛta. If he does it for another person, whether completed or not, it is a duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhunī, it is a pācittiya. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī, it is a duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if one uses kūlarāya grass, muñja grass, śabala grass, or bird feathers, kalpāsa, or various rags; or if one uses these to make a shoulder pad, or a cushion placed on a vehicle — there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who transgresses for the first time before the precept was established; one who is insane, mentally disturbed, or tormented and oppressed by pain.

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Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. FOUR-PART VINAYA, PART ONE.

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

(Chinese translation, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, fascicles 1–2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002.