Vinaya — Regras dos Monges (Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga) — Digging the earth

1Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava Shrine. At that time the monks of Āḷavī were doing building work, and they dug the earth and had it dug. People complained and criticized them, “How can the Sakyan monastics dig the earth and have it dug? They are hurting one-sensed life.”

2The monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, “How can those monks at Āḷavī dig the earth and have it dug?” … “Is it true, monks, that you do this?”

3“It’s true, sir.”

4The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how can you do this? People regard the earth as conscious. This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

5Final ruling
‘If a monk digs the earth or has it dug, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

6Definitions
A:

7whoever …

8Monk:

9… The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.

10The earth:

11there are two kinds of earth: productive earth and unproductive earth.

12Productive earth:

13pure soil, pure clay, with few stones, with few pebbles, with few potsherds, with little gravel, with little sand; mostly soil, mostly clay. If it is unburned, it is also called “productive earth”. A pile of soil or clay that has been rained on for more than four months—this too is called “productive earth”.

14Unproductive earth:

15just stones, just pebbles, just potsherds, just gravel, just sand, with little soil, with little clay; mostly stones, mostly pebbles, mostly potsherds, mostly gravel, mostly sand. If it is burned, it is also called “unproductive earth”. A pile of soil or clay that has been rained on for less than four months—this too is called “unproductive earth”.

16Digs:

17if he digs it himself, he commits an offense entailing confession.

18Has dug:

19if he asks another, he commits an offense entailing confession. If he only asks once, then even if the other digs a lot, he commits one offense entailing confession.

20Permutations
If it is earth, and he perceives it as such, and he digs it or has it dug, or he breaks it or has it broken, or he burns it or has it burned, he commits an offense entailing confession.

21If it is earth, but he is unsure of it, and he digs it or has it dug, or he breaks it or has it broken, or he burns it or has it burned, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

22If it is earth, but he does not perceive it as such, and he digs it or has it dug, or he breaks it or has it broken, or he burns it or has it burned, there is no offense.

23If it is not earth, but he perceives it as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not earth, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not earth, and he does not perceive it as such, there is no offense.

24Non-offenses
There is no offense: if he says, “Consider this,” “Give this,” “Bring this,” “There’s need for this,” “Make this allowable;” if it is unintentional; if he is not mindful; if he does not know; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

25The training rule on digging the earth, the tenth, is finished.

26The first subchapter on lying is finished.

27This is the summary:

28“Falsely, abusive, and malicious talebearing,
Memorizing, and two on beds;
Except with one who understands, true,
Grave offense, digging.”