Lzh Sarv Bu Pm 2 Pc 19Applying Materials to a Large Dwelling
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mahallakavihāra
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SUTTA ON THE USE OF MATERIALS FOR A LARGE MONASTERY
Background
This sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the collected basic training rules of the Theravāda tradition. The Pātimokkha is the collection of fundamental rules that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must observe in order to maintain pure conduct and propagate the Dharma.
The background for the arising of this sutta concerns practical issues in the management of communal property of the Sangha, especially large construction projects. As Buddhism developed, monasteries (vihāra) were built on an increasingly large scale to accommodate the number of bhikkhus in practice. However, the use of materials and expenditures for constructing and maintaining these buildings needed clear principles in order to avoid misuse or privatization of the Sangha’s property.
Main Content
The sutta on the mahallakavihāra, the large monastery, concerns one of the Pācittiya rules, the training rules that require the offender to confess: Pācittiya 19, which regulates the use of building materials for the Sangha’s large structures.
According to this rule, when repairing or expanding a large monastery, bhikkhus are not permitted to decide on their own to use precious or highly valuable materials without the consent of the Sangha. Any material dedicated to a communal project, whether timber, clay, or other building supplies, is regarded as property of the community of bhikkhus, not of any individual.
The specific content of this sutta states that applying or using materials in a large monastic building must be done through a communal procedure. The bhikkhus must consult one another and decide through formal assemblies (saṅgīti). If a bhikkhu secretly uses or moves communal materials without informing others or obtaining permission, that is an act of violating the discipline.
Practical Meaning
This rule reflects a fundamental principle of early Buddhism: integrity (sīla) and collective responsibility.
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