Chulavagga 6.17

Tipitaka >> Vinaya Pitaka >> Khandhaka >> Chulavagga >> Sixth Khandhaka >> 6.17

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

CHULAVAGGA (THE MINOR SECTION)

SIXTH KHANDHAKA (ON DWELLINGS AND FURNITURE)

Chapter-17.

1. Now when the Lord Buddha had remained at the Kita Hill as long as he thought fit, he proceeded on his journey towards Alavi; and in due course he arrived at Alavi, and there, at Alavi, the Lord Buddha stayed at the Aggalava Shrine.

Now at that time the Bhikkhus of Alavi used to give new building operations in charge (to one or other of their number) such as the following when some clay or earth had merely to be put aside in heaps, when a wall had merely to be re-plastered, when a door had merely to be made, when the socket for a bolt had merely to be made, when some joinery-work had merely to be done to a window, when some whitewashing merely had to be done, or some black colouring laid on, or some red colouring, or some roofing-work, or some joinery, or a bar had to be fixed to a door, when breaches or decay had merely to be repaired, or the flooring to be re-plastered; and they assigned this office to one another for terms of twenty or thirty years, or for life; or they gave in charge a completely finished Vihara to a Bhikkhu(Monk) for such time as should elapse till the smoke rose (from the funeral pyre on which his body should be burnt).

The moderate Bhikkhus murmured, &c. (as usual, down to) The Lord Buddha said to the Bhikkhus:

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to confer the office of building overseer when clay has merely to be put aside in heaps. . . . (&c., as before, down to) body shall be burnt. Whosoever shall so confer it, shall be guilty of a dukkata. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to give a Vihara not yet begun, or not yet finished, in charge as a new building. And with reference to the work on a small Vihara, it may be given in charge as a navakamma for a period of five or six years, that on an Addhayoga for a period of seven or eight years, that on a large Vihara or a Pasada for ten or twelve years.'

2. Now at that time the Bhikkhus gave the whole of a Vihara as a navakamma (to one Bhikkhu to superintend)--or two Viharas to one Bhikkhu--or the Bhikkhu who had taken the work in charge got another (Bhikkhu to live there and take charge for him)--or the Bhikkhu who had taken in charge a

building belonging to the Sangha kept exclusive possession of it--or the Bhikkhus gave work in charge to one not at that time within the boundary--or Bhikkhus who had once taken charge kept exclusive possession for all time.

They told [each of] these matters to the Lord Buddha.

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to do [any one of these things]. Whosoever does, he is guilty of a dukkata. And the Bhikkhu in charge may take one good sleeping-place into his exclusive possession for the three months of the rainy, but not during the dry season.'

3. Now at that time Bhikkhus who had taken charge of building operations left the place [or otherwise became incompetent in one or other of the twenty and three ways set out in the next paragraph 2].

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'In case that occurs, O Bhikkhus, as soon as he has taken charge, or before the building has been completed, let the office be given to another lest there should be loss to the Sangha. In case the building has been completed, O Bhikkhus, if he then leaves the place, it (the office and its privileges) is still his--if he then returns to the world, or dies, or admits that he is a samanera, or that he has abandoned the precepts, or that he has become guilty of an extreme offence, the Sangha

becomes the owner--if he then admits that he is mad, or that his mind is unhinged, or that he is afflicted with bodily pain, or that he has been suspended for his refusal to acknowledge an offence, or to atone for an offence, or to renounce a sinful doctrine, it (the office and its privileges) is still his--if he then admits that he is a eunuch, or that he has furtively attached himself to the Sangha, or that he has gone over to the Titthiyas, or that he is an animal, or that he has murdered his mother, or his father, or an Arahat, or that he has violated a Bhikkhuni, or that he has caused a schism in the Sangha, or that he has shed (a Buddha's) blood, or that he is an eunuch, then the Sangha becomes the owner.'