First lesson.
799
I shall become a Sramana who owns
no house, no property, no sons, no cattle, who eats what others
give him; I shall commit no sinful action; Master, I renounce to
accept anything that has not been given.' Having taken such
vows, (a mendicant) should not, on entering a village or
scot-free town, take himself, or induce others to take, or allow
others to take, what has not been given. A mendicant should not
take or appropriate any property, viz. an umbrella or vessel or
stick. Of those monks together with whom he stays, without
getting their permission, and without having inspected and wiped
(the object in question); but having got their permission, and
having inspected and wiped (the object in question), he may take
or appropriate it.
800
He may beg for a domicile in a traveller's hall. Having
reflected (on its fitness for a stay); he should ask permission
to take Possession of it from him who is the landlord or the
steward of that place: 'Indeed, O long-lived one! for the time,
and in the space which you concede us, we shall dwell here. We
shall take possession of the place for as long a time as the
place belongs to you; and of as much of it as belongs to you;
for as many fellow ascetics (as shall stand in need of it);
afterwards we shall take to wandering.'
801
Having got possession of some place, a mendicant should invite
to that food, which he himself has collected, any
fellow-ascetics arriving there who follow the same rules and are
zealous brethren; but he should not invite them to anything of
which he has taken possession for the sake of somebody else.
802
Having got possession of some place (in a traveller's hall.), a
mendicant should offer a footstool or bench or bed or couch,
which he himself has begged, to any fellow-ascetics arriving
there who follow other rules than he, yet are zealous brethren;
but he should not offer them anything of which he has taken
possession for the sake of somebody else.
803
Having got possession of some lace in a traveller's hall, a
mendicant might ask from a householder or his sons the loan of a
needle or a Pippalaka [a utensil] or an ear-picker or a nail-parer,
he should not give or lend it to somebody else; but having done
that for which he wanted one of the above articles, he should go
with that article there (where the householder, is), and
stretching out his hands or laying the article on the ground, he
should, after consideration, say: 'Here it is! here it is!' But
he should not with his own hand put it in the hand of the
householder.
804
A monk or a nun should not take possession of anything, on the
bare ground, on wet ground, where there are eggs; nor on pillars
or such an above-ground place; nor on a wall; nor on the trunk
of a tree; nor where the householder or fire or water, or women
or children or cattle are, and where it is not fit for a wise
man to enter or to leave, nor to meditate on the law; nor where
they have to pass through the householder's abode or to which
there is no road, and where it is not fit; nor where the
householder or his wife, bully or scold each other. Nor where
they rub or anoint each other's body with oil or ghee or butter
or grease; nor where they take a bath; nor where they go about
naked.
805
This is the whole duty.
806
Thus I say.
Second lesson.
807
He may beg for a domicile in a traveller's hall. Having
reflected (on its fitness); he should ask permission to take
possession of it from the landlord or the Steward of that place:
Indeed, O long-lived one! for the time and in the space You
concede is, we shall dwell here. Now what further after the
place is taken Possession of? He should not remove from without
to within, or vice versa, any umbrella or stick. Belonging to
Sramanas or Brahmanas (Previously settled there); nor should he
wake up a sleeping person, nor offend or molest the (inmates).
808
A monk or a nun might wish to go to a mango park; they should
then ask the landlord's or steward's permission (in the manner
described above). Now what further after the place is taken
possession of? Then they might desire to eat a mango. If the
monk or the nun perceive that the mango is covered with eggs,
living beings. They should not take it; for it is impure.
809
If the monk or the nun perceive that the mango is free from
eggs, living beings, but not nibbled at by animals, nor injured,
they should not take it; for it is impure. But if they perceive
that the mango is free from eggs, living beings, and is nibbled
at by animals and injured then they may take it; for it is pure.
810
The monk might wish to eat or suck one half of a mango or a
mango's peel or rind or sap or smaller particles. If the monk or
the nun perceive that the above-enumerated things are covered
with eggs, living beings, they should not take them; for they
are impure. But they may take them, if they are free from eggs,
and nibbled at by animals or injured.
811
A monk or a nun might wish to go to a sugarcane plantation. They
should ask permission in the manner described above. The monk or
the nun might wish to chew or suck sugar-cane. In that case the
same rules as for eating mango apply also; likewise if they wish
to chew or to stick the sugar-cane's pulp, fibres, sap, or
smaller particles.
812
A monk or a nun might wish to go to a garlic field. They should
ask permission in the manner described above. The monk or the
nun might wish to chew or suck garlic. In that case the same
rules as for eating mangoes apply also; likewise if they wish to
chew or suck the bulb or peel or stalk or seed of garlics.
813
A monk or a nun, having got possession of a place in a
travellers hall, should avoid all occasions to sin (proceeding
from any preparations made by) the householders or their sons,
and should occupy that place according to the following rules.
814
Now this is the first rule:
815
He may beg for a domicile in a traveller's hall, having
reflected (on its fitness for a stay).
816
This is the first rule.
817
Now follows the second rule:
818
A monk resolves: 'I shall ask for possession of a
dwelling-place, for the sake of other mendicants and having
taken possession of it for their sake, I shall use it.'
819
This is the second rule.
820
Now follows the third rule:
821
A monk resolves: 'I shall ask for possession of a
dwelling-place, for the sake of other mendicants, and having
taken possession of it for their sake, I shall not use it.'
822
This is the third rule.
823
Now follows the fourth rule
824
A monk resolves: 'I shall not ask for possession of a
dwelling-place, for the sake of other mendicants; but if the
dwelling-place, has already been ceded to them, I shall use it.'
825
This is the fourth rule.
826
Now follows the fifth rule:
827
A monk resolves: 'I shall ask for possession of a dwelling-place
for my own sake, not for two, three, four, or five persons.'
828
This is the fifth rule.
829
Now follows the sixth rule
830
If a monk or a nun, occupying a dwelling-place in which there is
Ikkada reed. Get this thing, then they may use it; otherwise
they should remain in a squatting or sitting posture.
831
This is the sixth rule.
832
Now follows the seventh rule:
833
A monk or a nun may beg for a dwelling-place paved with clay or
wood. If they get it, then they may use it; otherwise they
should remain in a squatting or sitting posture.
834
This is the seventh rule.
835
One who has adopted one of these seven rules, should not say.
836
I have heard the following explanation by the venerable (Mahavira):
The Sthaviras, the venerable ones, have declared that dominion
is fivefold: The lord of the gods' dominion; The king's
dominion; The houseowner's dominion; The householder's dominion;
The religious man's dominion. This is the whole duty. Thus I
say.
837
End of the Seventh Lecture, called Regulation of Possession. |