Chulavagga 6.2

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

CHULAVAGGA (THE MINOR SECTION)

SIXTH KHANDHAKA (ON DWELLINGS AND FURNITURE)

Chapter-2.

1. And the people heard, saying, 'Viharas have been allowed by the Lord Buddha.' And they built Viharas zealously. Those Viharas had no doors, and snakes, scorpions, and centipedes got in.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, a door.'

They made holes in the wall, and tied the door on with string or with creepers, These were eaten by mice and white ants; and when the things by which the doors had been tied on had been eaten away, the doors fell.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, door-posts and lintel, hollow like a mortar, for the door to revolve in, and projections to the door for it to revolve on.'

The doors would not come to.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, a hole to pass a string through with which to pull the door to, and a string for that purpose.'

The doors could not be made fast.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, rings on the door for the bolt to work along in, blocks of wood fixed to the edge of the door-post and containing a cavity for the bolt to go into, a pin to secure the bolt by, and a bolt.'

Now at that time the Bhikkhus were not able to open the door.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, key-holes, and keys of three kinds--bronze keys, and keys of hard wood, and keys of horn.'

When anybody unlocked them, and entered, the Viharas became unprotected.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, a yantaka, and a pin to it.'

2. Now at that time the Viharas were thatched; and in the cold season they were cold, and in the hot season hot.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to cover them (with skins), and to plaster them within and without.'

Now at that time the Viharas had no windows, and they were bad for the eyes, and had a disagreeable odour.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, windows of three kinds--windows made with railings, windows made with network, and windows made with slips of wood.'

Squirrels and bats entered through the opening for the window.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, window-blinds (or curtains).'

The squirrels and bats still got in through the interstices between the blind (and the wall).

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, shutters, and rolls or bags (to fill up interstices with).

3. Now at that time the Bhikkhus slept on the floor, and both their limbs and their robes became dirty.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, mats made of grass.'

The mats were eaten by mice and white ants.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, a solid bench or divan (built up against the wall of a room, or under the verandah against the outside wall of the house).

On the solid bench their limbs ached.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, bedsteads made of laths of split bamboo.'

Now at that time a bier-like masaraka bedstead--a masaraka chair--a bier-like bundikabaddha bedstead--a bundikabaddha chair--a bier-like kulira-padaka bedstead--a kulira-padaka chair--a bier-like ahakka-padaka bedstead--an ahakka-padaka chair--had come into the possession of the Sangha.

They told this matter (in each case) to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, (each of these things).'

4. Now at that time a rectangular chair--an arm-chair --a sofa--a sofa with arms to it --a state chair--a cushioned chair --a chair raised on a pedestal--a chair with many legs--a board (to recline on)--a cane-bottomed chair--a straw-bottomed chair--had come into the possession of the Sangha.

They told this matter (in each case) to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, (each of these things).'

5. Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus slept on lofty beds.

People coming on a visit to the Vihara(monastery), when they saw them, murmured, &c., saying, 'Like those who still live in the pleasure of the world.'

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to sleep on lofty beds. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata.'

Now at that time a certain Bhikkhu, when sleeping on a low couch, was bitten by a snake.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, supports to your bedsteads.'

Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus used lofty supports to their bedsteads, and rocked themselves with these bedstead supports, backwards and forwards.

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to use lofty supports to your bedsteads. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata. I allow you such supports up to eight inches in length.'

6. Now at that time a quantity of string had come into the possession of the Sangha.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to weave (a texture of string across) the bedstead.'

Much string was taken up by (passing it round) the sides of the bedstead.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to pierce the sides of the bedstead, and thus to weave the string across and across.'

A cloth had come into their possession.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to use it as a carpet.'

A mattress stuffed with cotton had come into their possession.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to comb out the cotton, and make the cotton up into pillows if it be of any of these three kinds--cotton produced on trees, cotton produced on creepers, cotton produced from Potaki-grass.'

Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus made use of pillows half the size of a man's body.

People who came on a visit to the Viharas murmured, &c., on seeing this, 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 make use of pillows half the size of a man's body. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to have pillows the size of a man's head.'

7. Now at that time there was a festival on a high place at Rajagaha. The people provided for the use of high officials bolsters stuffed with wool, or cotton cloth, or bark, or grass, or leaves. When the festival had been held they tore open the covers of skin and carried them off. And the Bhikkhus saw much wool, and cotton cloth, and bark, and grass, and leaves thrown away on the spot where the festival had been held; and on seeing this, they told the matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow, O Bhikkhus, bolsters of five kinds--those stuffed with wool, or cotton cloth, or bark, or grass, or talipot leaves.'

Now at that time a bed coverlet had come into the possession of the Sangha.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to cover a bolster with it.'

Now at that time the Bhikkhus folded up bed bolsters on to chairs, and chair bolsters on to bedsteads, and the bolsters came to pieces.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, chairs and bedsteads covered (with upholstered cushions to fit them).'

They covered the bedsteads and chairs without putting a cloth beneath them, and the stuffing came out from below.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus(Monks), first to spread out a cloth under the bedsteads or chairs, and then to upholster them.'

They tore off the coverings, and took them away.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to bespatter (the coverings with dye).'

They still took them away.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to use coverings coloured in patches.'

They still took them away.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to colour the coverings in patches only the size of a man's hand.'