Lzh Mu Bu Vb As 7Covering With Grass
Pāli / Sanskrit:Tiṇavatthāraka
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An Explanation of Tiṇavatthāraka (Covering with Grass)
Background
Tiṇavatthāraka is a regulation in the Vinaya Piṭaka, belonging to the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga (the separate rules for bhikkhunis). This sutta arose from a specific event in the time of the Buddha Gotama, when a bhikkhuni covered a construction or space with grass to block visibility, giving rise to an issue of discipline and regulation.
In the Theravada tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka was built through specific incidents and the Buddha’s judgments. Each rule arises from the need to maintain the discipline of the Sangha and protect the honor of Buddhism. The background of Tiṇavatthāraka reflects the Buddha’s concern for the details of the daily actions of bhikkhus, to ensure that their conduct was always clean, strict, and worthy of the labor of practice.
Main Content
The regulation on “Covering with Grass” concerns bhikkhus not arbitrarily covering or screening areas in the monastery with grass or other materials without the permission of the venerable elders or those with decision-making authority. Such an act may be regarded as a violation of the rule concerning obedience, the improper use of communal property, or altering the physical facilities of the Sangha without consensus.
The Buddha especially warned bhikkhus about similar actions, even when they seem minor, because they reflect a state of mind that is noncompliant, self-important, or lacking respect for the common order. The law concerns not only physical actions, but also the spirit of discipline and an understanding of the importance of unity in the Sangha.
This rule is also related to maintaining “purity of livelihood” (Ājīva Parisuddhi). Bhikkhus should use all materials belonging to the Sangha carefully, by agreement, and according to the rules, not arbitrarily.
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