Lzh Mu Bi Pm As 7Covering With Grass

Explanation of the Tiṇavatthāraka Discourse (Covering With Grass)

Background

The Tiṇavatthāraka discourse is part of the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically belonging to the Mūlasarvāstivāda Bhikṣuṇī Prātimokṣa, the disciplinary regulations for nuns in the Theravāda tradition. This is not a Dharma discourse (Sūtra), but a set of training rules established by the Buddha for the community of monks and nuns, in order to maintain firmness and purity in the Saṅgha.

The title “Tiṇavatthāraka” (tiṇa = grass; vatthāraka = covering cloth or roof covering) explains a specific situation related to using grass to thatch roofs or provide covering in construction within the monastery. This context arose from the practical needs of a communal monastic community, requiring detailed regulations to avoid disputes, misuse of common resources, or actions harmful to the sacred environment.

Main Content

This discourse deals with a practical matter: when nuns need to repair or build dwellings, meditation rooms, or other structures in the monastery, they must not arbitrarily take grass or plants from the surrounding environment, but must follow certain principles. “Covering with grass” represents a collective action requiring coordination, respect for common ownership, and avoidance of unnecessary harm.

The specific regulations in this discourse may include: not taking grass without permission from land belonging to others or from protected places; asking permission from senior nuns or the monastery head; cutting grass in an appropriate way; and not wasting resources. These points reflect the principle of the Noble Eightfold Path (Ariyaṭṭhaṅgika Magga), especially Right Action (Sammā Kammanta), in the context of communal life.

The specific content of this discourse has not yet been fully translated from the original Pāli Canon source, but according to the general context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this is a lesson in responsibility, discipline, and respect for the common property of the Saṅgha.