- Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law Theravāda Vinaya
- The Great Analysis Mahāvibhaṅga
- The chapter on offenses entailing confession Pācittiyakaṇḍa
- The subchapter on lying Musāvādavagga
10. The training rule on digging the earth 10. Pathavīkhaṇanasikkhāpada
Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava Shrine. Tena samayena buddho bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye. At that time the monks of Āḷavī were doing building work, and they dug the earth and had it dug. Tena kho pana samayena āḷavakā bhikkhū navakammaṁ karontā pathaviṁ khaṇantipi khaṇāpentipi. People complained and criticized them, Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How can the Sakyan monastics dig the earth and have it dug? “kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā pathaviṁ khaṇissantipi khaṇāpessantipi. They are hurting one-sensed life.” Ekindriyaṁ samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jīvaṁ viheṭhentī”ti.
The monks heard the complaints of those people, Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How can those monks at Āḷavī dig the earth and have it dug?” … “kathañhi nāma āḷavakā bhikkhū pathaviṁ khaṇissantipi khaṇāpessantipī”ti …pe… “Is it true, monks, that you do this?” “saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, pathaviṁ khaṇathapi khaṇāpethapī”ti?
“It’s true, sir.” “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
The Buddha rebuked them … Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… “Foolish men, how can you do this? kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, pathaviṁ khaṇissathapi khaṇāpessathapi. People regard the earth as conscious. Jīvasaññino hi, moghapurisā, manussā pathaviyā. This will affect people’s confidence …” … Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
Final ruling
‘If a monk digs the earth or has it dug, he commits an offense entailing confession.’” “Yo pana bhikkhu pathaviṁ khaṇeyya vā khaṇāpeyya vā, pācittiyan”ti.
Definitions
- A: Yo panāti
- whoever … yo yādiso …pe…
- Monk: bhikkhūti
- … 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. …pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.
- The earth: Pathavī nāma
- there are two kinds of earth: productive earth and unproductive earth. dve pathaviyo— jātā ca pathavī ajātā ca pathavī.
- Productive earth: Jātā nāma pathavī—
- pure soil, pure clay, with few stones, with few pebbles, with few potsherds, with little gravel, with little sand; mostly soil, mostly clay. suddhapaṁsu suddhamattikā appapāsāṇā appasakkharā appakaṭhalā appamarumbā appavālikā, yebhuyyenapaṁsukā, yebhuyyenamattikā. If it is unburned, it is also called “productive earth”. Adaḍḍhāpi vuccati jātā pathavī. A pile of soil or clay that has been rained on for more than four months—this too is called “productive earth”. Yopi paṁsupuñjo vā mattikāpuñjo vā atirekacātumāsaṁ ovaṭṭho, ayampi vuccati jātā pathavī.
- Unproductive earth: Ajātā nāma pathavī—
- just 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. suddhapāsāṇā suddhasakkharā suddhakaṭhalā suddhamarumbā suddhavālikā appapaṁsukā appamattikā, yebhuyyenapāsāṇā, yebhuyyenasakkharā, yebhuyyenakaṭhalā, yebhuyyenamarumbā, yebhuyyenavālikā. If it is burned, it is also called “unproductive earth”. Daḍḍhāpi vuccati ajātā pathavī. A pile of soil or clay that has been rained on for less than four months—this too is called “unproductive earth”. Yopi paṁsupuñjo vā mattikāpuñjo vā omakacātumāsaṁ ovaṭṭho, ayampi vuccati ajātā pathavī.
- Digs: Khaṇeyyāti
- if he digs it himself, he commits an offense entailing confession. sayaṁ khaṇati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
- Has dug: Khaṇāpeyyāti
- if he asks another, he commits an offense entailing confession. aññaṁ āṇāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa. If he only asks once, then even if the other digs a lot, he commits one offense entailing confession. Sakiṁ āṇatto bahukampi khaṇati, āpatti pācittiyassa.
Permutations
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. Pathaviyā pathavisaññī khaṇati vā khaṇāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, dahati vā dahāpeti vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If 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. Pathaviyā vematiko khaṇati vā khaṇāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, dahati vā dahāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If 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. Pathaviyā apathavisaññī khaṇati vā khaṇāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, dahati vā dahāpeti vā, anāpatti.
If it is not earth, but he perceives it as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Apathaviyā pathavisaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If it is not earth, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Apathaviyā vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If it is not earth, and he does not perceive it as such, there is no offense. Apathaviyā apathavisaññī, anāpatti.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: Anāpatti—if he says, “Consider this,” “Give this,” “Bring this,” “There’s need for this,” “Make this allowable;” “imaṁ jāna, imaṁ dehi, imaṁ āhara, iminā attho, imaṁ kappiyaṁ karohī”ti bhaṇati, if it is unintentional; asañcicca, if he is not mindful; asatiyā, if he does not know; ajānantassa, if he is insane; ummattakassa, if he is the first offender. ādikammikassāti.
The training rule on digging the earth, the tenth, is finished. Pathavīkhaṇanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dasamaṁ.
The first subchapter on lying is finished. Musāvādavaggo paṭhamo.
This is the summary: Tassuddānaṁ
“Falsely, abusive, and malicious talebearing, Musā omasapesuññaṁ, Memorizing, and two on beds; padaseyyāya ve duve; Except with one who understands, true, Aññatra viññunā bhūtā, Grave offense, digging.” duṭṭhullāpatti khaṇanāti.