Theravāda Vinayapiṭaka
Monks’ rules and their analysis
Monks’ Suspension 7: Building a dwelling
Origin story
At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Kosambī in Ghosita’s Park. At that time a householder who was a supporter of Venerable Channa said to him: “Bhante, please find a site for a dwelling, and I will have one built for you.”
Then, while Venerable Channa was clearing a site for the dwelling, he had a tree felled which had served as a shrine and which was revered by village, town, country-side, and kingdom. People grumbled and complained: “How can the Sakyan ascetics have such a tree felled? They are hurting life with one faculty.”
The monks heard the criticism of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticised … Venerable Channa in the same manner. They then informed the Master. He said: “Is it true, Channa, that you had a tree felled, which had served as a shrine and which was revered by village, town, country-side, and kingdom?”
“It’s true, Master.”
The Buddha, the Master, rebuked him: “… Foolish man, how could you do such a thing? People perceive trees as living beings. This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
“When a monk builds a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for himself, he must get monks to approve a site where no harm will be done and which has a space on all sides. If a monk builds a large dwelling on a site where harm will be done and which lacks a space on all sides, or he does not get monks to approve the site, he commits an offence entailing suspension.”
Definitions
Large: it is a dwelling with a sponsoring owner.
Dwelling: a wattle and daub dwelling.
Builds: building himself or getting someone else to build.
With a sponsoring owner: there is another owner, either a woman or a man, either a householder or one gone forth.
Intended for himself: for his own use.
He must get monks to approve a site:
The monk who is building a dwelling should clear a site, then approach the Sangha, put his robe over one shoulder, pay homage at the feet of the senior monks, squat on his haunches with his palms together, and say: “Bhante, I wish to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for myself. I request the Sangha to inspect the site for the dwelling.” He 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 not able to inspect the site, then those monks there who are experienced and competent—who know where harm will be done and where no harm will be done, and who know what has a space on all sides and what lacks a space on all sides—should be asked and then authorised. “And, monks, they should be authorised in this way. An experienced and competent monk should inform the Sangha:
‘Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. Monk so-and-so wishes to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for himself. He is requesting the Sangha to inspect the site for the dwelling. If it seems appropriate to the Sangha, the Sangha should authorise monk so-and-so and monk so-and-so to inspect the site. This is the motion.
‘Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. Monk so-and-so wishes to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for himself. He is requesting the Sangha to inspect the site for the dwelling. The Sangha is authorising monk so-and-so and monk so-and-so to inspect the site. Any monk who agrees to authorising monk so-and-so and monk so-and-so to inspect the site for the dwelling should remain silent. Any monk who does not agree should say so.
‘Monk so-and-so and monk so-and-so have been authorised by the Sangha to inspect the site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’
‘Those authorised monks should go and inspect the site for the dwelling and find out if there will be any harm and if it has a space on all sides. If there will be harm and it lacks a space on all sides, they should say, ‘Do not build here.’ If there will be no harm and it has a space on all sides, they should inform the Sangha: ‘There will be no harm and it has a space on all sides.’ The monk who is building the dwelling should then approach the Sangha, put his robe over one shoulder, pay homage at the feet of the senior monks, squat on his haunches with his palms together, and say: ‘Bhante, I wish to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for myself. I request the Sangha to approve the site for the dwelling.’ He should make his request a second and a third time. An experienced and competent monk should then inform the Sangha:
‘Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. Monk so-and-so wishes to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for himself. He is requesting the Sangha to approve the site for the dwelling. If it seems appropriate to the Sangha, the Sangha should approve the site. This is the motion.
‘Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. Monk so-and-so wishes to build a large dwelling with a sponsoring owner and intended for himself. He is requesting the Sangha to approve the site for the dwelling. The Sangha approves the site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so. Any monk who agrees to approving the site for the dwelling should remain silent. Any monk who does not agree should say so.
‘The site for the dwelling of monk so-and-so has been approved by the Sangha. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’”
Where harm will be done: it is the abode of ants, termites, rats, snakes, scorpions, centipedes, elephants, horses, lions, tigers, leopards, bears, or hyenas, or any other animals; or it is bordering on a field of grain, a field of vegetables, a slaughtering-place, a place of execution, a charnel ground, a park, a king’s property, an elephant-stable, a horse-stable, a prison, a bar, a slaughterhouse, a vehicle road, a crossroads, an assembly hall, or a cul-de-sac. This is called, “Where harm will be done.”
Which lacks a space on all sides: it 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 a space on all sides.”
Where no harm will be done: it is not the abode of ants, termites … or any other animal; and it is not bordering on a field of grain … or a cul-de-sac. This is called, “Where no harm will be done.”
Which has a space on all sides: it 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 a space on all sides.”
Large: it is a dwelling with a sponsoring owner.
Dwelling: a wattle and daub dwelling.
Builds: building himself or getting someone else to build.
Or he does not get monks to approve the site: if the site has not been approved through a Sangha act of one motion and three announcements, and he then builds a dwelling, he commits an offence of bad conduct for every action. When one piece is left to complete the dwelling, he commits a serious offence. When the last piece is finished, he commits an offence entailing suspension.
He commits an offence entailing suspension: … This is the name and designation of this class of offence. Therefore, too, it is said that he commits an offence entailing suspension.
Permutations
Permutations part 1
Building oneself
If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension and two offences of bad conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension and one offence of bad conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension and one offence of bad conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension.
If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a space on all sides, he commits two offences of bad conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides, he commits one offence of bad conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides, he commits one offence of bad conduct. If a monk builds a dwelling whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, there is no offence.
Appointing someone else to build
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling. If they build one whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension and two offences of bad conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension and one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension and one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension.
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling. If they build one whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a space on all sides, he commits two offences of bad conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides, he commits one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides, he commits one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, there is no offence.
Departing without informing of proper building procedure
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs, but he does not tells them to build it on a site which has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides. If they build a dwelling whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension and two offences of bad conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension and one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension and one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, he commits one offence entailing suspension.
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs, but he does not tells them to build one whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides. If they build a dwelling whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a space on all sides, he commits two offences of bad conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides, he commits one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides, he commits one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, there is no offence.
Departing and then hearing about wrong building procedure
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs. He tells them to build one whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, but they build one whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a space on all sides. … This paragraph is to be expanded according to Bu-Ss.6.3.9 … whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides. … whose site has not been approved, where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides. … whose site has not been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides. If he hears about it, he must go there himself, or send a messenger, and tell them to build one whose site has been approved. If he neither goes himself nor sends a messenger, he commits an offence of bad conduct.
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs. He tells them to build one whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, but they build one whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a space on all sides. … This paragraph is to be expanded according to Bu-Ss.6.3.9 … whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides. … whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides. … whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, and they do build one whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides. There is no offence.
Offences for appointed builders
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs. He tells them to build one whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides. If they build one whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a space on all sides, the builders commit three offences of bad conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides, the builders commit two offences of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides, the builders commit two offences of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, the builders commit one offence of bad conduct.
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs. He tells them to build one whose site has been approved, where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides. If they build one whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a space on all sides, the builders commit two offences of bad conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides, the builders commit one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides, the builders commit one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, there is no offence.
Unfinished when he returns
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs. They build one whose site has not been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a 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 does not give it to someone else, or does not demolish and rebuild it, he commits one offence entailing suspension and two offences of bad conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides … he commits one offence entailing suspension and one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides … he commits one offence entailing suspension and one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides … he commits one offence entailing suspension.
A monk appoints someone to build him a dwelling and then departs. They build one whose site has been approved, where harm will be done, and which lacks a 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 does not give it to someone else, or does not demolish and rebuild it, he commits two offences of bad conduct. … where harm will be done, but which has a space on all sides … he commits one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, but which lacks a space on all sides … he commits one offence of bad conduct. … where no harm will be done, and which has a space on all sides, there is no offence.
Permutations part 2
If he finishes what he began himself, he commits an offence entailing suspension.
If others finish what he began himself, he commits an offence entailing suspension.
If he finishes himself what was begun by others, he commits an offence entailing suspension.
If others finish what was begun by others, he commits an offence entailing suspension.
Non-offences
There is no offence: if it is a cave, an overhang, 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.
The seventh training rule on building a dwelling is finished.