Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Pācittiya 11: The Training Rule on Vegetation.
- Translated from the Pali by Brahmali Bhikkhu.
Origin story
1
At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava Shrine. At that time some monks at Āḷavī were doing building work, and they cut trees and got them cut. Then, when a certain monk was cutting a tree, the deity that lived in it said to him: “Bhante, do not cut down our dwelling because you want to build a dwelling for yourself." Not taking any heed, he just cut it down, and he hurt the arm of that deity’s child. Then that deity thought, “Perhaps I should kill this monk right here." But then it reconsidered, “It would not be appropriate for me to kill this monk right here. What if I instead informed the Master of this matter." Then that deity approached the Master and informed him of what had happened.
“Well done, deity! It is good that you did not kill that monk. If you had killed that monk today, you would have made much demerit. The tree over there is empty; take that as your dwelling."
And people complained and criticised those monks: “How can the Sakyan ascetics cut trees and get them cut? They are hurting life with one sense faculty."
2 Monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires … complained and criticised those monks: “How can those monks at Āḷavī cut trees and get them cut?" … “Is it true, monks, that you are doing this?" “It’s true, Master." The Buddha, the Master, criticised them: “ … Foolish men, how can you cut trees and get them cut? People perceive trees as having life. This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
3 “If a monk destroys vegetation, he commits an offence entailing confession."
Definitions
4 Vegetation: there are five kinds of propagation: propagation from roots, propagation from stems, propagation from joints, propagation from cuttings, propagation from seeds.
5 Propagation from roots: turmeric, ginger, sweet flag, the vacatta medicinal plant, friar’s hood, hellebore, andropogon muricatus, nut grass, or whatever other plants there are that are produced from roots, that grow from roots; this is called propagation from roots.
6 Propagation from stems: the Bodhi tree, the banyan tree, the wave-leaved fig, the cluster fig, the kacchaka fig-tree, the wood-apple tree, or whatever other plants there are that are produced from stems, that grow from stems; this is called propagation from stems.
7 Propagation from joints: sugar-cane, bamboo, reed, or whatever other plants there are that are produced from joints, that grow from joints; this is called propagation from joints.
8 Propagation from cuttings: basil, rosha grass, pavonia odorata, or whatever other plants there are that are produced from cuttings, that grow from cuttings; this is called propagation from cuttings.
9 Propagation from seeds: grains, vegetables, or whatever other plants there are that are produced from seeds, that grow from seeds; this is called propagation from seeds.
Permutations
10If it is capable of propagation, and he perceives that it is, and he cuts it or gets it cut, or he breaks it or gets it broken, or he cooks it or gets it cooked, he commits an offence entailing confession. If it is capable of propagation, but he has doubts about it, and he cuts it or gets it cut, or he breaks it or gets it broken, or he cooks it or gets it cooked, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is capable of propagation, but he perceives that it is not, and he cuts it or gets it cut, or he breaks it or gets it broken, or he cooks it or gets it cooked, there is no offence.
If it is not capable of propagation, but he perceives that it is, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is not capable of propagation, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is not capable of propagation, and he perceives that it is not, there is no offence.
Non-offences
11There is no offence: if he says, “Consider this, give this, bring this, there is 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.
12The first rule, the training rule on vegetation, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā āḷaviyaṃ viharati aggāḷave cetiye. tena kho pana samayena āḷavakā bhikkhū navakammaṃ karontā rukkhaṃ chindantipi chedāpentipi. aññataropi āḷavako bhikkhu rukkhaṃ chindati. tasmiṃ rukkhe adhivatthā devatā taṃ bhikkhuṃ etadavoca— "mā, bhante, attano bhavanaṃ kattukāmo mayhaṃ bhavanaṃ chindī"ti. so bhikkhu anādiyanto chindiyeva, tassā ca devatāya dārakassa bāhuṃ ākoṭesi. atha kho tassā devatāya etadahosi— "yannūnāhaṃ imaṃ bhikkhuṃ idheva jīvitā voropeyyan"ti. atha kho tassā devatāya etadahosi— "na kho metaṃ patirūpaṃ yāhaṃ imaṃ bhikkhuṃ idheva jīvitā voropeyyaṃ. yannūnāhaṃ bhagavato etamatthaṃ āroceyyan"ti. atha kho sā devatā yena bhagavā tenupasankami; upasankamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesi. "sādhu sādhu, devate. sādhu kho tvaṃ, devate, taṃ bhikkhuṃ jīvitā na voropesi. sacajja tvaṃ, devate, taṃ bhikkhuṃ jīvitā voropeyyāsi, bahuñca tvaṃ, devate, apuññaṃ pasaveyyāsi. gaccha tvaṃ, devate, amukasmiṃ okāse rukkho vivitto tasmiṃ upagacchā"ti. manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā rukkhaṃ chindissantipi chedāpessantipi ekindriyaṃ samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jīvaṃ viheṭhentī"ti.
2 assosuṃ kho bhikkhū tesaṃ manussānaṃ ujjhāyantānaṃ khiyyantānaṃ vipācentānaṃ. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma āḷavakā bhikkhū rukkhaṃ chindissantipi chedāpessantipī"ti … pe … "saccaṃ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, rukkhaṃ chindathāpi chedāpethāpī"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, rukkhaṃ chindissathāpi, chedāpessathāpi. jīvasaññino hi, moghapurisā, manussā rukkhasmiṃ. netaṃ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
3 "bhūtagāmapātabyatāya pācittiyan"ti. (11:60)
4 bhūtagāmo nāma pañca bījajātāni— mūlabījaṃ, khandhabījaṃ, phaḷubījaṃ, aggabījaṃ, bījabījameva pañcamaṃ.
5 mūlabījaṃ nāma— haliddi, singiveraṃ, vacā, vacattaṃ, ativisā, kaṭukarohiṇī, usīraṃ, bhaddamuttakaṃ, yāni vā panaññānipi atthi mūle jāyanti, mūle sañjāyanti, etaṃ mūlabījaṃ nāma.
6 khandhabījaṃ nāma— assattho, nigrodho, pilakkho, udumbaro, kacchako, kapitthano, yāni vā panaññānipi atthi khandhe jāyanti, khandhe sañjāyanti, etaṃ khandhabījaṃ nāma.
7 phaḷubījaṃ nāma— ucchu, veḷu, naḷo, yāni vā panaññānipi atthi pabbe jāyanti, pabbe sañjāyanti, etaṃ phaḷubījaṃ nāma.
8 aggabījaṃ nāma— ajjukaṃ, phaṇijjakaṃ, hiriveraṃ, yāni vā panaññānipi atthi agge jāyanti, agge sañjāyanti, etaṃ aggabījaṃ nāma.
9 bījabījaṃ nāma— pubbaṇṇaṃ, aparaṇṇaṃ, yāni vā panaññānipi atthi bīje jāyanti, bīje sañjāyanti, etaṃ bījabījaṃ nāma.
10 bīje bījasaññī chindati vā chedāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, pacati vā pacāpeti vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. bīje vematiko chindati vā chedāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, pacati vā pacāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. bīje abījasaññī chindati vā chedāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, pacati vā pacāpeti vā, anāpatti. abīje bījasaññī āpatti dukkaṭassa. abīje vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. abīje abījasaññī, anāpatti.
11 anāpatti— "imaṃ jāna, imaṃ dehi, imaṃ āhara, iminā attho, imaṃ kappiyaṃ karohī"ti bhaṇati, asañcicca, assatiyā, ajānantassa, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.