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Theravāda Vinaya
Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law
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Mahāvibhaṅga
The Great Analysis
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Pācittiyakaṇḍa
The chapter on offenses entailing confession
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Ratanavagga
The subchapter on precious things
87. Mañcapīṭhasikkhāpada
87. The training rule on beds and benches
Origin story
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā upanando sakyaputto ucce mañce sayati.
Venerable Upananda the Sakyan was sleeping on a high bed.
Atha kho bhagavā sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ senāsanacārikaṁ āhiṇḍanto yenāyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa vihāro tenupasaṅkami.
On one occasion, as the Buddha and a number of monks were walking about the dwellings, they came to Upananda’s dwelling.
Addasā kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.
Upananda saw the Buddha coming
Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca—
and said to him,
“āgacchatu me, bhante, bhagavā sayanaṁ passatū”ti.
“Sir, please come and see my bed.”
Atha kho bhagavā tatova paṭinivattitvā bhikkhū āmantesi—
The Buddha turned around on the spot and addressed the monks:
“āsayato, bhikkhave, moghapuriso veditabbo”ti.
“A fool, monks, can be recognized by his sleeping place.”
Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā dubbharatāya …pe…
After rebuking Upananda in many ways, the Buddha spoke in dispraise of being difficult to support …
evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
Final ruling
“Navaṁ pana bhikkhunā mañcaṁ vā pīṭhaṁ vā kārayamānena aṭṭhaṅgulapādakaṁ kāretabbaṁ sugataṅgulena, aññatra heṭṭhimāya aṭaniyā; taṁ atikkāmayato chedanakaṁ pācittiyan”ti.
‘If a monk is having a new bed or bench made, it is to have legs eight standard fingerbreadths long below the lowest frame. If the legs exceed that, they are to be cut down, and he commits an offense entailing confession.’”
Definitions
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Navaṁ nāma
New:
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karaṇaṁ upādāya vuccati.
newly made is what is meant.
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Mañco nāma
A bed:
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cattāro mañcā— masārako, bundikābaddho, kuḷīrapādako, āhaccapādako.
there are four kinds of beds: one with legs and frame, called masāraka; one with legs and frame, called bundikābaddha; one with crooked legs; one with detachable legs.
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Pīṭhaṁ nāma
A bench:
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cattāri pīṭhāni— masārakaṁ, bundikābaddhaṁ, kuḷīrapādakaṁ, āhaccapādakaṁ.
there are four kinds of benches: one with legs and frame, called masāraka; one with legs and frame, called bundikābaddha; one with crooked legs; one with detachable legs.
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Kārayamānenāti
Is having made:
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karonto vā kārāpento vā.
making it himself or having it made.
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Aṭṭhaṅgulapādakaṁ kāretabbaṁ sugataṅgulena, aññatra heṭṭhimāya aṭaniyāti
It is to have legs eight standard fingerbreadths long below the lowest frame:
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ṭhapetvā heṭṭhimaṁ aṭaniṁ;
apart from the lowest frame.
taṁ atikkāmetvā karoti vā kārāpeti vā, payoge dukkaṭaṁ, paṭilābhena chinditvā pācittiyaṁ desetabbaṁ. If he makes one, or has one made, that exceeds that, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. When he gets it, the legs are to be cut down, and he is then to confess an offense entailing confession.
Permutations
Attanā vippakataṁ attanā pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If he finishes what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing confession.
Attanā vippakataṁ parehi pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If he has others finish what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing confession.
Parehi vippakataṁ attanā pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If he finishes himself what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing confession.
Parehi vippakataṁ parehi pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.
If he has others finish what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing confession.
Aññassatthāya karoti vā kārāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If he makes one or has one made for the benefit of someone else, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Aññena kataṁ paṭilabhitvā paribhuñjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If he gets one that was made by someone else and then uses it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
Anāpatti—
There is no offense:
pamāṇikaṁ karoti,
if he makes it the right height;
ūnakaṁ karoti,
if he makes it lower than the right height;
aññena kataṁ pamāṇātikkantaṁ paṭilabhitvā chinditvā paribhuñjati,
if he gets one made by another that exceeds the right height and then cuts the legs down before using it;
ummattakassa,
if he is insane;
ādikammikassāti.
if he is the first offender.
Mañcapīṭhasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ pañcamaṁ.
The training rule on beds and benches, the fifth, is finished.
