San Lo Bi Vb Pc 14Leaving Furniture Outside

The Text on Leaving Requisites Outside

Mañcasanthārana Pācittiya

Background

This rule arose from an event in the history of the early Sangha, when bhikkhus did not yet clearly understand the proper discipline for using and preserving the common property of the community. The Mañcasanthārana text, meaning "placing a bed, concealing a bed," is recorded in the Pācittiya, one of the lighter categories of offenses, requiring confession (pāyattika) but not leading to loss of monastic status.

The historical background shows that some bhikkhus left items such as beds, chairs, mattresses, or daily-use requisites outside, causing them to become damp from rain, soiled, or damaged. The Buddha Śākyamuni saw that this action violated the principle of respecting common property (sāmaññabhogga) and reflected a lack of care and discipline among those gone forth. From that point, he established a disciplinary rule to regulate this behavior.

Main Content

The Mañcasanthārana rule states that if a bhikkhu leaves daily-use requisites such as a bed (mañca), chair (pīṭha), mattress, or similar items outside without covering or protecting them, he commits a Pācittiya offense. The offense applies when the act of leaving the requisites outside is done intentionally, with the knowledge that they may be damaged or contaminated.

However, the rule also has exceptions. If the bhikkhu has a legitimate reason, such as needing to dry the items under suitable weather conditions, or temporarily leaving them with the intention of covering them, then that action is not a violation. What matters is the intention (cetanā) and the degree of care in protecting property.

The text also records that if a bhikkhu leaves requisites outside and later discovers the mistake, he must confess to a fully qualified bhikkhu in order to remove the fault (pāyattika).