Chulavagga 5.14

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

CHULAVAGGA (THE MINOR SECTION)

FIFTH KHANDHAKA (ON THE DAILY LIFE OF THE BHIKKHUS)

Chapter-14.

1. Now at that time at Veshali a regular service of sweet food had been established, the laity taking the duty in turns. The Bhikkhus, eating the sweet food, became very sick with superfluity of humors in their body.

Now Jivaka Komarabhakka went to Veshali on

prescribe, O Bhikkhus, the use of the cloister and of the bath-room.'

2. Now at that time the Bhikkhus walked up and down on a cloister on uneven ground; and their feet were hurt.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to make it level.'

The cloister had too low a basement, and was inundated with water.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

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

The facing of the basement fell in.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of facing of three kinds--brick facing, stone facing, and wooden facing.'

They found difficulty in getting up into it.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of stairs of three kinds--brick stairs, stone stairs, and wooden stairs.'

As they were going up them, they fell off.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a balustrade.'

Now at that time the Bhikkhus, when walking up and down in the cloister, fell down.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to provide a railing for the cloister.'

Now at that time the Bhikkhus, when walking up and down in the open air, were distressed by heat and by cold.

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a hall for the cloister,'

Straw and plaster fell (from the walls and roof) into the cloister-hall.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to first cover over (the walls and roof with skins), and then plaster them. (And I allow the use of) whitewash, and blacking, and red colouring, and wreath-work, and creeper-work, and bone hooks, and cupboards, and bamboos to hang robes on, and strings to hang robes on.'

3. [The whole of the above, from the basement down to the balustrade, is repeated of the hot-bath house.]

The bath house had no door.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of 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 unto 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 the string with which the door can be closed, and with a string for that purpose.'

The lower part of the wattle and daub wall of the bath-room decayed (through damp).

They told this matter to the Lord Buddha.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to face round the lower half of the wall (with bricks).'

The bath-room had no chimney.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a chimney.'

Now at that time the Bhikkhus made a fire-place in the middle of a small bath-room, and there was no room to get to (the bath).

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to make the fire-place at one side of a small bath-room, and in the middle of a large one.'

The fire in the bath-room scorched their faces.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of clay to spread over your faces.'

They moistened the clay in their hands.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a trough to moisten the clay in.'

The clay had a bad smell.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to scent it.'

The fire in the bath-room scorched their bodies.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to have water poured over you.'

They poured the water out of dishes and alms-bowls.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, a stand for the water, and saucers to pour it from.'

A bath-room with a thatched roof did not produce perspiration.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to cover the roof of the bath-room (with skins), and to plaster it within and without.'

The bath-room became swampy.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to lay the floor with flooring of three kinds--brick flooring, stone flooring, and wooden flooring.'

It still became swampy.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to wash the floor.'

The water settled on the floor.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a drain to carry off the water.'

Now at that time the Bhikkhus sat in the bath-room on the ground, and they had pins and needles in their limbs.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of stools for the bath-room.'

Now at that time the bath-room had no enclosure.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to enclose it with three kinds of enclosures--brick walls, and stone walls, and wooden fences.'

4. There was no antechamber (in which the water could be kept).

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to have an antechamber.'

The basement of the antechamber was too low, and it was inundated with water [and so on, as in II. 6, and in the last section down to the end of the description of the door, followed by the closing words of II. 6 and of §-2 from 'straw and plaster fell, &c.,' down to 'cupboards'].

5. The cell became swampy.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to spread gravel over it.'

They did not succeed in getting any.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to flag it with stone.'

The water settled on the floor.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to have a drain to it.'