Lzh Dg Bu Vb Ss 7Building a Dwelling

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– SAṄGHĀDISESA

7. BUILDING A LARGE MONASTERY

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

At that time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Ghositārāma garden, in the country of Kosambī. At that time, King Udayana said to the Venerable Channa, who was his close and intimate friend:

"I wish to build a dwelling for you. Whatever kind of dwelling you would like, that is what it shall be. Whatever location seems good for building a residence, that too is for you to choose."

The Venerable replied:

"Excellent!"

At that time, near the city of Kosambī there was a sacred tree called Nyagrodha. Many people passing back and forth, as well as elephants, horses, and carriages, would regularly rest in its shade. The Venerable Channa went and cut down that tree in order to build a large dwelling. The laypeople who saw this all reproached him: "The Sakyan monastics have no sense of shame or remorse—they destroy the lives of living beings, yet outwardly proclaim that they know the True Dharma. How then can there be any True Dharma? Such a fine great tree, where so many people, elephants, horses, and carriages regularly come to rest in its shade—and he goes and cuts it down to build a large dwelling."

At that time, among the bhikkhus who heard of this, those who were of few desires, who were content, who practiced the ascetic rules, who were devoted to training in the precepts, and who had a sense of shame and remorse, reproached Channa, saying: "Such a fine great tree, where so many people, elephants, horses, and carriages regularly come to rest in its shade—how could you go and cut it down to build a large dwelling?"

Having reproached him, the bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter to the Buddha in full.

The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the bhikkhus. Although he already knew, he deliberately asked Channa:

"Is it true that you did such a thing?"

Channa replied:

"Blessed One, it is exactly as reported."

The Blessed One rebuked him:

"What you did was wrong—it is not proper conduct, not the practice of a monastic, not pure conduct, not befitting behavior. You have done what ought not to be done."

After rebuking him with numerous means of explanation, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:

"This foolish person is a fertile ground for many defiled seeds; he is the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, for the sake of the bhikkhus, I shall lay down a precept, drawing on ten purposes—up to and including the purpose of causing the True Dharma to endure for a long time."

Wishing to recite the precept, it should be recited as follows:

B. THE PRECEPT

Should any bhikkhu wish to build a large monastery, having a donor who is building it for him, he must invite other bhikkhus to come and designate the site. Those bhikkhus must designate a site that is free from danger and free from obstruction. If a bhikkhu builds a large monastery, having a donor building it for him, at a site that is dangerous or obstructed, without inviting bhikkhus to come and designate the site—it is a saṅghādisesa.

C. EXPLANATION OF TERMS

Bhikkhu: as defined above.

Large: requiring a great deal of money and materials.

Having a donor: whether one person, two persons, or many persons.

Building it for him: built for the sake of his own person.

Dangerous site: a site where there are tigers, wolves, lions, other fierce animals, down to and including ants. If a bhikkhu is not harassed or harmed by ants or other insects or animals, then the ground should be leveled; if there are tree stumps, rocks, thorns, or roots, people should be directed to dig them out. If there are pits, ditches, trenches, gullies, ponds, or channels, they should be filled in. If there is fear of flooding, an embankment should be built as a barrier. If some person claims that the land is theirs, the matter should be adjudicated, so that no one else may dispute it. This is called a site free from danger.

Obstructed site: a site where there is not enough room for a cart laden with grass to turn around and pass back and forth—this is called an obstructed site.

When a bhikkhu has examined and determined that the site is free from danger and free from obstruction, he goes before the Sangha, removes his sandals, bares his right shoulder, kneels with his right knee touching the ground, puts his palms together, and makes the following declaration:

Venerable Sangha, please listen! I, Bhikkhu [name], wishing to build a large monastery, having a donor building it for me, now come before the Sangha to request the designation of a site free from danger and free from obstruction.

A second time and a third time he likewise makes this declaration. At that time, the Sangha should assess whether this bhikkhu is trustworthy and whether he is possessed of wisdom. If he is trustworthy and possessed of wisdom, a formal act should be performed granting permission to build.

If he is not trustworthy or not possessed of wisdom, a number of bhikkhus should be appointed, or a bhikkhu who is wise and trustworthy should be directed to go to the site and inspect it. If the site is dangerous or obstructed, permission should not be granted. If it is free from danger but obstructed, permission should likewise not be granted.

If it is dangerous but not obstructed, permission should also not be granted. Only a site that is free from danger and free from obstruction should be approved. Once the site has been settled in this way, a capable person as described should be appointed among the assembly to perform the formal act.

The preliminary announcement should be made as follows:

Venerable Sangha, please listen! Bhikkhu [name], wishing to build a large monastery, having a donor building it for him, has now come before the Sangha to request the designation of a site free from danger and free from obstruction. If it is the proper time for the Sangha, may the Sangha approve the designation for Bhikkhu [name] of a site free from danger and free from obstruction. This is the preliminary announcement.

Venerable Sangha, please listen! Bhikkhu [name], wishing to build a large monastery, having a donor building it for him, has now come to the Sangha to request the designation of a site free from danger and free from obstruction. Now the Sangha confers upon Bhikkhu [name] the formal act designating a site free from danger and free from obstruction. Those venerable ones who consent to the Sangha's conferring upon Bhikkhu [name] the formal act designating a site free from danger and free from obstruction, please remain silent; those who do not consent, please speak. The Sangha has consented to conferring upon Bhikkhu [name] the formal act designating a site free from danger and free from obstruction. Remain silent. So it is recorded.

D. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

A bhikkhu who is building a residence should know that from the moment of laying the first stone, heaping up earth, or patting mud, up to and including the final plastering of mud when the whole is completed—if he has not had the site designated by the Sangha, at a dangerous and obstructed location, he incurs one saṅghādisesa and two duṣkṛtas.

If the Sangha has not designated the site, and the location is dangerous but not obstructed, he incurs one saṅghādisesa and one duṣkṛta.

If the Sangha has not designated the site, and he builds at a site free from danger but obstructed, he incurs one saṅghādisesa and one duṣkṛta.

If the Sangha has designated the site, but he builds at a dangerous and obstructed location, he incurs two duṣkṛtas.

If the Sangha has designated the site, but he builds at a dangerous location that is not obstructed, he incurs one duṣkṛta.

If the Sangha has designated the site, but he builds at a location free from danger yet obstructed, he incurs one duṣkṛta.

If the Sangha has not designated the site, but he builds at a location free from danger and free from obstruction, he incurs one saṅghādisesa.

If a bhikkhu—without the Sangha having designated the site, at a dangerous and obstructed location—builds a large residence having a donor building it for him: if the building is completed, he incurs one saṅghādisesa and two duṣkṛtas; if the building is not completed, he incurs one sthūlātyaya and two duṣkṛtas. If he instructs another to build it: if completed, he incurs one saṅghādisesa and two duṣkṛtas; if not completed, he incurs one sthūlātyaya and two duṣkṛtas. If he initiates construction for another and it is completed, he incurs one sthūlātyaya and two duṣkṛtas; if the construction is not completed, he incurs three duṣkṛtas.

If the Sangha has not designated the site, and he perceives it as not having been designated, he incurs a saṅghādisesa. If the Sangha has not designated the site, and he is in doubt, he incurs a sthūlātyaya. If the Sangha has not designated the site, and he perceives it as having been designated, he incurs a sthūlātyaya.

If the Sangha has designated the site, and he perceives it as not having been designated, he incurs a sthūlātyaya. If the Sangha has designated the site, and he is in doubt, he incurs a sthūlātyaya. Regarding a dangerous site perceived as dangerous, or an obstructed site perceived as obstructed—these are likewise each governed by five cases in the same way.

For a bhikkhunī: sthūlātyaya. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī: duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offenses: If the Sangha has designated the site, and the building is constructed at a location free from danger and free from obstruction—whether for the Sangha, for a Buddha shrine, a lecture hall, a thatched hut, a leaf hut, a small cell just sufficient to shelter one's body, or dwellings built by many people—there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: the first offender when the precept had not yet been promulgated; one who is deranged, mentally disturbed, or in extreme pain and distress.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002.