Vinaya — Regras dos Monges (Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga) — Building a dwelling inappropriately

1Origin story
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Kosambī in Ghosita’s Monastery, a householder who was a supporter of Venerable Channa said to him, “I’ll have a dwelling built for you, venerable, if you would find a site for it.”

2While Venerable Channa was clearing a site for that dwelling, he felled a tree that served as a shrine and was revered by village, town, district, and kingdom. People complained and criticized him, “How could the Sakyan monastics fell a tree that serves as a shrine and is revered by village, town, district, and kingdom? They are hurting one-sensed life.”

3The monks heard the criticism of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized Venerable Channa in the same way.

4After rebuking Venerable Channa in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned Channa: “Is it true, Channa, that you did this?”

5“It’s true, sir.”

6The Buddha rebuked him … “Foolish man, how could you do this? People perceive trees as conscious. This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

7Final ruling
‘When a monk builds a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for himself, he must have monks approve a site where no harm will be done and which has space on all sides. If a monk builds a large dwelling on a site where harm will be done and which lacks space on all sides, or he does not have monks approve the site, he commits an offense entailing suspension.’”

8Definitions
A large dwelling:

9one with a sponsoring owner is what is meant.

10Dwelling:

11plastered inside or plastered outside or plastered both inside and outside.

12Builds:

13building it himself or having it built.

14With a sponsoring owner:

15there is another owner, either a woman or a man, either a householder or a monastic.

16Intended for himself:

17for his own use.

18He must have monks approve a site:

19the monk who wants to build a dwelling should clear a site. He should then approach the Sangha, arrange his upper robe over one shoulder, pay respect at the feet of the senior monks, squat on his heels, raise his joined palms, and say:

20“Venerables, I want to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for myself. I request the Sangha to inspect the site for that dwelling.”

21He should make his request a second and a third time. If the whole Sangha is able to inspect the site, they should all go. If the whole Sangha is unable to inspect the site, then those monks there who are competent and capable—who know where harm will be done and where no harm will be done, who know what is meant by space on all sides and a lack of space on all sides—should be asked and then appointed.

22“And, monks, they should be appointed like this. A competent and capable monk should inform the Sangha:

23‘Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. Monk so-and-so wants to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for himself. He is requesting the Sangha to inspect the site for that dwelling. If the Sangha is ready, it should appoint monks so-and-so and so-and-so to inspect the site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so. This is the motion.

24Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. Monk so-and-so wants to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for himself. He is requesting the Sangha to inspect the site for that dwelling. The Sangha appoints monks so-and-so and so-and-so to inspect the site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so. Any monk who approves of appointing monks so-and-so and so-and-so to inspect the site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so should remain silent. Any monk who doesn’t approve should speak up.

25The Sangha has appointed monks so-and-so and so-and-so to inspect the site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’

26The appointed monks should go and inspect the site for the dwelling to find out if any harm will be done and if it has space on all sides. If harm will be done or it lacks space on all sides, they should say, ‘Don’t build here.’ If no harm will be done and it has space on all sides, they should inform the Sangha: ‘No harm will be done and it has space on all sides.’ The monk who wants to build the dwelling should then approach the Sangha, arrange his upper robe over one shoulder, pay respect at the feet of the senior monks, squat on his heels, raise his joined palms, and say:

27‘Venerables, I want to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for myself. I request the Sangha to approve the site for the dwelling.’

28He should make his request a second and a third time. A competent and capable monk should then inform the Sangha:

29‘Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. Monk so-and-so wants to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for himself. He is requesting the Sangha to approve the site for that dwelling. If the Sangha is ready, it should approve the site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so. This is the motion.

30Please, venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. Monk so-and-so wants to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for himself. He is requesting the Sangha to approve the site for that dwelling. The Sangha approves the site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so. Any monk who approves of approving the site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so should remain silent. Any monk who doesn’t approve should speak up.

31The Sangha has approved the site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’”

32Where harm will be done:

33it is the abode of ants, termites, rats, snakes, scorpions, centipedes, elephants, horses, lions, tigers, leopards, bears, or hyenas, or any other animal; or it is bordering on a field of grain, a field of vegetables, a place of slaughter, a place of execution, a charnel ground, a park, a royal property, an elephant stable, a horse stable, a prison, a bar, a slaughterhouse, a street, a crossroads, a public meeting hall, or a cul-de-sac— this is called “where harm will be done”.

34Which lacks space on all sides:

35it is not possible to go around it with a yoked cart, or to go all the way around it with a ladder— this is called “which lacks space on all sides”.

36Where no harm will be done:

37it is not the abode of ants … it is not bordering on … a cul-de-sac— this is called “where no harm will be done”.

38Which has space on all sides:

39it is possible to go around it with a yoked cart, or to go all the way around it with a ladder— this is called “which has space on all sides”.

40A large dwelling:

41one with a sponsoring owner is what is meant.

42Dwelling:

43plastered inside or plastered outside or plastered both inside and outside.

44Builds:

45building it himself or having it built.

46Or he does not have monks approve the site:

47if the site for the dwelling has not been approved through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements, and he then builds a dwelling or has one built, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. When there is one piece left to complete the dwelling, he commits a serious offense. When the last piece is finished, he commits an offense entailing suspension.

48He commits an offense entailing suspension:

49… Therefore, too, it is called an offense entailing suspension.

50Building oneself
If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension and two offenses of wrong conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, but which has space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension and one offense of wrong conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where no harm will be done, but which lacks space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension and one offense of wrong conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension.

51If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides, he commits two offenses of wrong conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, but which has space on all sides, he commits one offense of wrong conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, but which lacks space on all sides, he commits one offense of wrong conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, there is no offense.

52Appointing someone else to build
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling. If they build a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension and two offenses of wrong conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension and one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension and one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension.

53A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling. If they build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides, he commits two offenses of wrong conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has space on all sides, he commits one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks space on all sides, he commits one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, there is no offense.

54Departing without informing of the proper building procedure
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs, but he does not tell them to build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides. If they build a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension and two offenses of wrong conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension and one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension and one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, he commits one offense entailing suspension.

55A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs, but he does not tell them to build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides. If they build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides, he commits two offenses of wrong conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has space on all sides, he commits one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks space on all sides, he commits one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, there is no offense.

56Departing and then hearing about wrong building procedure
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs. He tells them to build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, but they build a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides. If he hears about it, he must either go there himself or send a message, telling them to build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides. … whose site has been approved and where no harm will be done. … whose site has been approved and which has space on all sides. … whose site has been approved. If he neither goes himself nor sends a message, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

57A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs. He tells them to build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, but they build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides. If he hears about it, he must either go there himself or send a message, telling them to build one where no harm will be done and which has space on all sides. … (To be expanded as in <a href='https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bu-vb-ss6#3.9.35'>Bu Ss 6:3.9.35</a>–3.9.53. The segments below, up to 3.4.24, are part of this expansion.) … where no harm will be done. … which has space on all sides. … There is no offense.

58Offenses for appointed builders
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling. He then departs, telling them to build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides. If they build a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides, the builders commit three offenses of wrong conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has space on all sides, the builders commit two offenses of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks space on all sides, the builders commit two offenses of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, the builders commit one offense of wrong conduct.

59A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling. He then departs, telling them to build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides. If they build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides, the builders commit two offenses of wrong conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has space on all sides, the builders commit one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks space on all sides, the builders commit one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, there is no offense.

60Unfinished when he returns
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs. They build a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides. If it is unfinished when he returns, that dwelling is to be given to someone else, or it is to be demolished and rebuilt. If he neither gives it to someone else, nor demolishes and rebuilds it, he commits one offense entailing suspension and two offenses of wrong conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has space on all sides … he commits one offense entailing suspension and one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks space on all sides … he commits one offense entailing suspension and one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides … he commits one offense entailing suspension.

61A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs. They build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks space on all sides. If it is unfinished when he returns, that dwelling is to be given to someone else, or it is to be demolished and rebuilt. If he neither gives it to someone else, nor demolishes and rebuilds it, he commits two offenses of wrong conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has space on all sides … he commits one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks space on all sides … he commits one offense of wrong conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has space on all sides, there is no offense.

62Permutations part 2
If he finishes what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing suspension.

63If he has others finish what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing suspension.

64If he finishes himself what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing suspension.

65If he has others finish what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing suspension.

66Non-offenses
There is no offense: if it is a shelter; if it is a cave; if it is a grass hut; if it is built for someone else; if it is anything apart from a dwelling; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

67The training rule on building a dwelling inappropriately, the seventh, is finished.