… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a piece of cloth to sit upon was allowed to monks by the lord. The group of six monks, thinking: "A piece of cloth to sit upon is allowed by the lord," used pieces of cloth to sit upon that were not of a (proper) measure; they made (these) hang down in front of and at the back of a couch and a chair. Those who were modest monks … spread it about, saying: "How can this group of six monks use pieces of cloth to sit upon that are not of a (proper) measure?" …

"Is it true, as is said, that you, monks, use pieces of cloth to sit upon that are not of a (proper) measure?"

"It is true, lord."

The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked them, saying:

"How can you, foolish men, use pieces of cloth to sit upon that are not of a (proper) measure? It is not, foolish men, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … And thus, monks, this rule of training should be set forth:

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"When a piece of cloth to sit upon is being made for a monk, it must be made to a (proper) measure. This is the (proper) measure here: in length two spans according to the accepted span, in breadth one and a half spans. In exceeding this (measure), there is an offence of expiation involving cutting down."

And thus this rule of training for monks came to be laid down by the lord.

Now at that time the venerable Udāyin became very fat. He, having made ready a piece of cloth to sit upon before the lord, pulling it out all round, sat down. Then the lord spoke thus to the venerable Udāyin:

"Why do you, Udāyin, pull out the piece of cloth to sit upon, just as if it were an old skin?"

"It is because, lord, the piece of cloth to sit upon allowed by the lord is very small."

Then the lord, on this occasion, in this connection, having given reasoned talk, addressed the monks, saying:

"I allow you, monks, a border of a span for a piece of cloth to sit upon. And thus, monks, this rule of training should be set forth:

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"When a piece of cloth to sit upon is being made for a monk, it must be made to a (proper) measure. This is the (proper) measure here: in length two spans according to the accepted span, in breadth one and a half spans, the border a span. In exceeding this (measure), there is an offence of expiation involving cutting down."

A piece of cloth to sit upon means: it is so-called if it has a border.

Is being made means: making or causing to be made.

It must be made to a (proper) measure. This is the (proper) measure here : in length … the border a span means: if he makes it or causes it to be made having exceeded this (measure), in the business there is an offence of wrong-doing; having cut it down on acquisition, an offence of expiation is to be confessed.

If what was incompletely executed by himself he has finished by himself … If he makes others finish what was incompletely executed by others, there is an offence of expiation. If he makes it or causes it to be made for another, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If having acquired what was made for another, he makes use of it, there is an offence of wrong-doing.

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There is no offence if he makes it to the (proper) measure; if he makes it less than the (proper) measure; if having acquired what was made for another (but) exceeding the (proper) measure, having cut it down, he makes use of it; if he makes a canopy or a ground-covering or a screen-wall or a mattress or a squatting-mat; if he is mad, if he is the first wrong-doer.

The Seventh

1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ nisīdanaṃ anuññātaṃ hoti. chabbaggiyā bhikkhū—  "bhagavatā nisīdanaṃ anuññātan"ti appamāṇikāni nisīdanāni dhārenti. mañcassapi pīṭhassapi puratopi pacchatopi olambenti.

2 ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe …   te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—  "kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū appamāṇikāni nisīdanāni dhāressantī"ti … pe …   "saccaṃ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, appamāṇikāni nisīdanāni dhārethā"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe …   kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, appamāṇikāni nisīdanāni dhāressatha. netaṃ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha— 

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3 "nisīdanaṃ pana bhikkhunā kārayamānena pamāṇikaṃ kāretabbaṃ. tatridaṃ pamāṇaṃ—  dīghaso dve vidatthiyo, sugatavidatthiyā; tiriyaṃ diyaḍḍhaṃ. taṃ atikkāmayato chedanakaṃ pācittiyan"ti.

4 evañcidaṃ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ paññattaṃ hoti.

5 tena kho pana samayena āyasmā udāyī mahākāyo hoti. so bhagavato purato nisīdanaṃ paññapetvā samantato samañchamāno nisīdati. atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṃ udāyiṃ etadavoca—  "kissa tvaṃ, udāyi, nisīdanaṃ samantato samañchasi; seyyathāpi purāṇāsikoṭṭho"ti? "tathā hi pana, bhante, bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ atikhuddakaṃ nisīdanaṃ anuññātan"ti. atha kho bhagavā etasmiṃ nidāne etasmiṃ pakaraṇe dhammiṃ kathaṃ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—  "anujānāmi, bhikkhave, nisīdanassa dasaṃ vidatthiṃ. evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha— 

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6 "nisīdanaṃ pana bhikkhunā kārayamānena pamāṇikaṃ kāretabbaṃ. tatridaṃ pamāṇaṃ—  dīghaso dve vidatthiyo, sugatavidatthiyā; tiriyaṃ diyaḍḍhaṃ. dasā vidatthi. taṃ atikkāmayato chedanakaṃ pācittiyan"ti. (89:138)

7 nisīdanaṃ nāma sadasaṃ vuccati.

8 kārayamānenāti karonto vā kārāpento vā pamāṇikaṃ kāretabbaṃ. tatridaṃ pamāṇaṃ—  dīghaso dve vidatthiyo, sugatavidatthiyā; tiriyaṃ diyaḍḍhaṃ. dasā vidatthi. taṃ atikkāmetvā karoti vā kārāpeti vā, payoge dukkaṭaṃ. paṭilābhena chinditvā pācittiyaṃ desetabbaṃ.

9 attanā vippakataṃ attanā pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa. attanā vippakataṃ parehi pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa. parehi vippakataṃ attanā pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa. parehi vippakataṃ parehi pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.

10 aññassatthāya karoti vā kārāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. aññena kataṃ paṭilabhitvā paribhuñjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

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11 anāpatti—  pamāṇikaṃ karoti, ūnakaṃ karoti, aññena kataṃ pamāṇātikkantaṃ paṭilabhitvā chinditvā paribhuñjati, vitānaṃ vā bhūmattharaṇaṃ vā sāṇipākāraṃ vā bhisiṃ vā bibbohanaṃ vā karoti, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

12 nisīdanasikkhāpadaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ sattamaṃ.