Lzh Mg Bu Vb Pc 73Digging the Earth

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PĀYATTIKA RULES

– EXPLAINING THE EIGHTH SECTION OF THE 92 SINGLE EXPIATION RULES.

73. RULE: DIGGING AND TURNING THE EARTH.

When the Buddha was residing at the Wilderness Monastery, as explained in full above. At that time, a bhikkhu who was overseeing construction work dug the earth himself to level the foundation of a building, or to make roof tiles and bricks. People of the world criticized him, saying: "The ascetic Gautama uses countless methods to condemn the taking of life and praises non-killing, yet now a bhikkhu digs the earth with his own hands to lay foundations, or to make roof tiles and bricks, thereby causing harm to living beings. These are corrupt individuals—what virtue do they possess!" The bhikkhus then brought this matter and reported it to the Blessed One, and the Buddha ordered them to summon the bhikkhu who had been overseeing the construction. When he arrived, the Buddha asked:

—Bhikkhu, did you truly do this?

—Blessed One, I did.

—Although the earth does not contain life, this is something a person who has gone forth should not do. On the contrary, one should have few duties and few activities, and should not give occasion for people of the world to criticize and thereby lose their wholesome merit. From now on, bhikkhus must not dig the earth with their own hands.

Thereupon the Buddha ordered all the bhikkhus residing at the Wilderness Monastery to assemble, and for the sake of ten benefits he established a rule for the bhikkhus, which all must hear even if they have heard it before:

"If a bhikkhu digs the earth with his own hands, or instructs another to dig, or directs them to dig, he commits a Pāyattika offence."

Explanation

With one's own hands: This refers to one's own body, a part of the body, or a bodily instrument.

1. Body: If one raises oneself up, jumps about, or runs back and forth, intending to damage the earth, one commits a Pāyattika offence. This is called the body.

2. Part of the body: Such as the hand, foot, knee, elbow, or fingernail; this is called a part of the body.

3. Bodily instrument: If one uses a hoe, spade, axe, or hammer to dig the earth with one's own hands, or to strike into bamboo or wood, or from a distance throws something, intending to damage the earth; if the earth is damaged, one commits a Pāyattika offence.

Earth: There are two kinds: living and made.

1. Living: Earth that is still in its original, undisturbed state is called living.

2. Made: There are two kinds: base-made and upper-made.

a. Base-made: This refers to earth on pathways and earth used for walls.

b. Upper-made: This refers to earth spread on the upper floors of buildings or on rooftops; this is called upper-made.

Digging oneself: Whether one digs oneself or instructs another to dig—even if one merely says, "Dig this earth"—one commits a Pāyattika offence.

Pāyattika: As explained above.

If one devises a means by oneself to dig a great quantity of earth, one commits a single Pāyattika offence. If one works and then rests, one commits a Pāyattika offence for each instance of resting.

If one instructs another person to dig and that person digs a large quantity of earth in one instance, one commits a single Pāyattika offence.

If one repeatedly tells them to dig faster, one commits a Pāyattika offence for each repetition.

If a bhikkhu wishes to level the earth and seeks to sweep it, he commits a Dukkaṭa offence. If the earth is damaged to the extent of a mosquito's footprint, he commits a Pāyattika offence. If there is no intention, there is no offence.

If one uses a means of dragging a piece of timber, intending to cause the earth to be scratched, then at the time of dragging the timber, one commits a Dukkaṭa offence. If the earth is damaged to the extent of a mosquito's footprint, one commits a Pāyattika offence. If no means is employed, there is no offence.

If one drives cattle or horses across, intending to cause the earth to be damaged and eroded, it is likewise. If no means is employed, there is no offence.

If one wishes to level the earth and therefore engages in walking meditation, at the time of walking meditation one commits a Dukkaṭa offence; when the earth is damaged to the extent of a mosquito's footprint, one commits a Pāyattika offence. The same applies when standing, sitting, or lying down. However, if there is no intention, there is no offence.

If a bhikkhu stamps his foot on the edge of a riverbank, causing earth to fall, he commits one Pāyattika offence for each stamp. However, if while walking along the riverbank, earth collapses unintentionally, there is no offence. Nevertheless, if the mass of earth that breaks off weighs more than one person, one commits a Pāyattika offence. If the mass of earth that breaks off weighs less than one person, there is no offence.

If a bhikkhu is holding a stick, stone, roof tile, brick, hoe, or spade, and it accidentally slips and falls to the ground, even if the earth is damaged, there is no offence.

If a bhikkhu who oversees construction work has many articles belonging to the Sangha or to a stupa and wishes to store them underground, but the earth in that place is living earth and is in an open area, he must not dig with his own hands but must instruct a净人 (pure attendant) to do it. If the earth in that place is dead earth and is in a secluded area, he may dig the earth and store the articles himself. If he drives stakes into the earth, he commits a Dukkaṭa offence. If the earth is damaged to the extent of a mosquito's footprint, he commits a Pāyattika offence.

If a bhikkhu wishes to stretch a canopy, he must drive pegs into the four corners. If the canopy is erected on dead earth in a secluded place, he may drive the pegs himself without offence. If it is on living earth in an open area, he must instruct a pure attendant to do it. When taking it down, he must also instruct a pure attendant to do so.

If a bhikkhu drives a nail into the wall inside a room and the wall breaks, he commits a Dukkaṭa offence when the action is completed. However, if there was already a hole in the wall beforehand, there is no offence.

If the surface of the earth has been soaked by rainwater and a bhikkhu damages it to the extent of a bird's footprint, he commits a Pāyattika offence. If he wishes to draw on the earth, he commits a Dukkaṭa offence. If the earth is damaged to the extent of a bird's footprint, he commits a Pāyattika offence. However, if he draws on soft mud, there is no offence.

If a bhikkhu who oversees construction work wishes to draw a plan, he should draw it on a piece of wood or on a brick. If the earthen floor of the residential room has become old and one wishes to remove it, one must not remove it with one's own hands but must instruct a pure attendant to remove it.

If a bhikkhu wishes to demolish a wall, he should instruct a pure attendant to remove the outer layer of plastered earth first, and only then may he himself remove the bricks with his own hands; and when he reaches the level of the floor surface, he must also instruct a pure attendant to remove it. If the wall has no earthen plaster but has been soaked by rainwater, then when wishing to demolish it, he must instruct a pure attendant to remove a few layers of bricks on top first, and only then may he remove them himself; and when he reaches the level of the floor, he must again instruct a pure attendant to remove the rest.

If a pile of roof tiles or bricks has been soaked by rain, when taking from it, the bhikkhu must not take with his own hands but must instruct a pure attendant to remove a few layers from the top, and only then may he take from it himself; and when he reaches the level close to the ground, he must again instruct a pure attendant to continue. When taking roof tiles from a building, the bhikkhu may take them, but when he reaches the layer of tiles resting closest to the ground, he must instruct a pure attendant to take them.

When stacking bricks, it is likewise.

When earth stored in containers has been soaked by rain, the bhikkhu must not take it himself but must instruct a pure attendant to remove all the rain-soaked earth first, and only then may he take from it without offence.

If earth dug by rats has been soaked by rain, the bhikkhu must not take it himself but must instruct a pure attendant to take it.

After rain, a bhikkhu must not bail out a well himself but must instruct a pure attendant to bail it out. If the pure attendant is young and unable to do it, he must have them go down into the well and stir the water until it becomes turbid, and only then may the bhikkhu bail it out. If there is water in a pond or pooled water remaining after rain, the bhikkhu must not drain it. However, if cattle or horses have already waded through it, the bhikkhu may drain it. If muddy earth has been struck by rain, the bhikkhu must not take it but must instruct a pure attendant to take it.

If earth in a pond or in a storage vessel has been struck by rain, the bhikkhu must not take it himself but must instruct a pure attendant to take it.

After rain, if water has pooled in gutters or on eaves-troughs, the bhikkhu must not clear the blockage with his own hands but must instruct a pure attendant to clear it.

If, when using water to wash after defecating or urinating, one rubs one's hand on the earth, one commits a Pāyattika offence. After finishing defecating and urinating, one must wash one's hands with ash or bean flour.

If rainwater flows and swirls the earth into a heap, the bhikkhu must not take it himself but must instruct a pure attendant to take it.

If water jars, pots, basins, and so forth, have been left outside and have been through a rain, the bhikkhu must not take them himself but must instruct a pure attendant to take them.

If a foot-washing board has been through a rain, the bhikkhu must not pick it up with his own hands.

If such objects as timber, stone, roof tiles, and bricks have been left outside and have been through a rain, the bhikkhu must not pick them up with his own hands but must instruct a pure attendant to pick them up.

If a bhikkhu digs earth, he commits a Pāyattika offence. If the earth is mixed with half sand, he commits a Dukkaṭa offence. However, if the earth is purely sand, there is no offence. If a bhikkhu digs rock, gravel, or dust, it is likewise (that is, there is no offence). Therefore it is said (as above).

MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

End of the Nineteenth Volume.

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: THE TRIPIṬAKA MASTER BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH THE ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

DOCTRINAL VERIFICATION: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH