Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pc 174Disposing Feces on Plants
Pāli / Sanskrit:Harituccārachaḍḍana
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The Harituccārachaḍḍana Sutra: On Disposing of Waste on Plants
Background
This text is recorded in the Pāṭimokkha section of the Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically within the Pācittiya, secondary ethical rules for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. Pācittiya includes 92 rules for men and 166 for women, and this text appears in position 174 according to the classification of the Sarva Bhikṣu Prātimokṣa Sūtra, the Vinaya of the Sarvāstivāda school, although the basic content is acknowledged in the Theravāda tradition.
The background of this rule concerns bhikkhus living in a monastery who were causing inconvenience or disrespect to other monastics, the community, and people outside the monastery. Hygiene and respect for the shared environment are important in the Vinaya, because they reflect the spirit of compassion and non-harming (ahiṃsā).
Main Content
This Pācittiya rule forbids a bhikkhu from discharging bodily waste, feces or urine, directly onto living plants (harita), or onto green and living vegetation. This act is considered a violation of the first of the Five Precepts, not killing living beings.
Although feces or urine do not directly “kill” plants, the act is regarded as heedless and lacking respect for life. In Theravāda Buddhism, even small forms of life such as plants are regarded as having the capacity for sensation (asankheyya-kappa). Therefore one should not intentionally cause harm or disrespectful disturbance to them.
This rule requires a bhikkhu to use appropriate places, such as areas without green plants, places already designated for this purpose, or to ensure that waste is discharged into water or soil in such a way that it does not directly harm living vegetation. If this rule is violated, the bhikkhu must acknowledge the offense (pāvāraṇa) and perform public confession (pabbajjanīya-kamma).
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