Chulavagga 6.3

Tipitaka >> Vinaya Pitaka >> Khandhaka >> Chulavagga >> Sixth Khandhaka >> 6.3

Adapted from the Translation by T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg

CHULAVAGGA (THE MINOR SECTION)

SIXTH KHANDHAKA (ON DWELLINGS AND FURNITURE)

Chapter-3.

1. Now at that time the sleeping-rooms of the Titthiyas were whitewashed, the floors of their rooms were coloured black, and the walls coloured with red chalk. Much people went to look at their sleeping-rooms.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, the use in your Viharas of whitewash, black colouring, and red colouring.'

Now at that time the whitewash would not lie on to the rough walls.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to apply the husks of grain made up into little balls; and when you have thus removed the unevenness with your hands, to lay on the whitewash.'

The whitewash would not adhere.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to apply soft clay; and when you have thus removed the unevenness with your hands, to lay on the whitewash.'

(Still) the whitewash would not adhere.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of slime (of trees) or of paste.'

Now at that time the colouring matter of red chalk would not lie on the rough walls.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to apply the husks of grain made up into little balls; and when you have thus removed the unevenness with your hands, to lay on the colouring matter of red chalk.'

The red colour would not adhere.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to apply clay mixed with the red powder which adheres to the grain of rice under the husks; and when you have so taken off the unevenness with your hands to lay on the red colouring matter.'

Still the red colouring matter would not adhere.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a paste made of mustard seed, and of oil of beeswax .'

It lay on the wall too thickly in great drops.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to wipe it down with a cloth .'

Now at that time the black colouring matter did not lie on the rough ground.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to apply husks of grain

made up into little balls; and when you have thus removed the unevenness with your hands, to lay on the black colouring matter.'

The black colouring matter would not adhere.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to apply clay mixed with (the excrement of) earth-worms; and when you have thus removed the unevenness with your hands, to lay on the black colouring matter.'

Still the black colouring matter would not adhere.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of slime and astringent liquid.'

2. Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus had imaginative drawings painted on their Viharas--figures of men, and figures of women.

People, when they saw them on going to visit the Viharas; murmured, &c., saying, 'Like those who still enjoy the pleasures of the world.'

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to have imaginative drawings painted figures of men, and figures of

women. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, representations of wreaths and creepers and bone hooks and cupboards.'

3. Now at that time the Viharas had too low a basement (&c., as in V, 11, 6 as to roofing, stairs, and balustrade).

Now at that time the Viharas were crowded with people. The Bhikkhus were ashamed to lie down to sleep.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of curtains.'

They lifted up the curtains and looked in.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to put up a lath and plaster wall half the height of the Vihara.'

They looked on from over this half-wall.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to make inner chambers of three kinds--chambers in shape like a palankeen, chambers in shape like a quart measure, and chambers on an upper storey.'

Now at that time the Bhikkhus made inner chambers in the middle of small Viharas, and there was no room to move about in.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to make the inner chambers at one side of small Viharas, and in the middle of large ones.'

4. Now at that time the lower part of the lath and plaster wall of the Vihara decayed.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, buttresses of timber.'

Rain leaked through on to the lath and plaster wall of the Vihara.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, a protecting arrangement and cement.'

Now at that time a snake fell from the roof on to the back of a certain Bhikkhu. He was terrified, and made an outcry. The Bhikkhus, running up, said to that Bhikkhu: 'Why, Sir, do you make an outcry?' Then that Bhikkhu told the matter to the Bhikkhus, and they told the matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, a ceiling-cloth.'

5. Now at that time the Bhikkhus hung their bags at the feet of the bedsteads, and at the feet of the chairs; and they were gnawed by the mice and white ants.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, pins in the wall, and bone hooks.'

Now at that time the Bhikkhus laid aside their robes on the bedsteads and on the chairs, and the robes were torn.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, bamboos to hang your robes on, and strings to hang your robes on.'

Now at that time the Viharas had no verandahs, and no defences.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, verandahs, covered terraces, inner verandahs, and over-hanging eaves.'

The verandahs were. too public; and the Bhikkhus were ashamed to lie down in them to sleep.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, an arrangement in form of a curtain that can be drawn aside, or an arrangement in form of a moveable screen.'

6. Now at that time the Bhikkhus, when taking their midday meal in the open air, were troubled by cold and heat.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, a Service Hall.'

The Service Hall had too low a basement (&c., as in V, 11, 6, down to the end).

Now at that time the Bhikkhus spread their robes out on the ground in the open air, and they became dirty.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, bamboos to hang robes on, and strings to hang robes in, in the open air.

7. The water became warm.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, a water-room and a water-shed.'

The water-room had too low a basement (&c., as in V, 11, 6, down to the end).

There were no vessels for the water.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, chank shells and saucers for the water.'

8. Now at that time the Viharas had no fence round them.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to enclose them with

ramparts (Pakara) of three kinds--brick walls, stone walls, and wooden fences.'

There was no store-room.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, a store-room.'

The store-room had too low a basement, and it was flooded with water.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to make it with a high basement.'

The store-room had no door.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, a door; with door-posts and lintel, with hollows like a mortar for the door to revolve in, with projections to revolve in those hollows, with rings on the door for the bolt to work along in, with a block of wood fixed into the edge of the door-post, and containing a cavity for the bolt to go into (called the Monkey's Head), with a pin to secure the bolt by, with a connecting bolt, with a key-hole, with a hole for a string with which the door may be closed, and with a string for that purpose.'

Grass and plaster fell from the store-room.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus (&c., as in V, 14, 4. down to the end of V, 14, 5, as to roofing, flooring, drains, &c.).'

9. Now at that time the Bhikkhus made fire-places here and there in the Parivena, and the Parivena was covered with the remains of the fires.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to make a separate room for the fire at one side.'

The fire-room had too low a basement (&c., as in V, 11, 6, as to flooring, stairs, and balustrade, followed by the paragraph as to the door, and the facing, as in V, 14, 3, &c.).

10. Now at that time the Aramas(Monasteries) had no fences to them, and goats and cattle injured the plantations.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to surround them with fencing of three kinds--bamboo fences, thorn fences, and ditches.'

There was no gateway (kotlhaka), and goats and cattle, even so, injured the plantations.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, a gateway, with gates made of stakes interlaced with thorny brakes, with fences (across the gateway) made of the akka plant, with ornamental screen-work over the gateway, and with bars.'

[Then the paragraphs allowing the roofing, &c., of this kotthaka as in V, 11, 6, and drains for the Arama, as in V, 14, 3.]

11. Now at that time Seniya Bimbisara, the king of Magadha, wanted to build a pasada (residence),

covered with cement and clay, for the use of the Sangha. And it occurred to the Bhikkhus, 'What kind of roof now has been allowed by the Lord Buddha, and what kind of roof has not been allowed?'

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, roofing of five kinds--brick roofing, stone roofing, cement roofing, straw roofing, and roofing of leaves.'

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End of the First Bhanavara (or Portion for Recitation).