0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
0.2MahāvibhaṅgaThe Great Analysis
0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
0.4MusāvādavaggaThe subchapter on lying

0.510. PathavīkhaṇanasikkhāpadaDigging the earth

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye.At one time the Buddha was staying at Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava Shrine.1.2Tena kho pana samayena āḷavakā bhikkhū navakammaṁ karontā pathaviṁ khaṇantipi khaṇāpentipi.At that time the monks of Āḷavī were doing building work, and they dug the earth and had it dug.1.3Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—People complained and criticized them,1.4“kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā pathaviṁ khaṇissantipi khaṇāpessantipi.“How can the Sakyan monastics dig the earth and have it dug?1.5Ekindriyaṁ samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jīvaṁ viheṭhentī”ti.They are hurting one-sensed life.”

1.6PTS 4.33Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.The monks heard the complaints of those people,1.7Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks,1.8“kathañhi nāma āḷavakā bhikkhū pathaviṁ khaṇissantipi khaṇāpessantipī”ti …pe…“How can those monks at Āḷavī dig the earth and have it dug?” …1.9“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, pathaviṁ khaṇathapi khaṇāpethapī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that you do this?”

1.10“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.11Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.12kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, pathaviṁ khaṇissathapi khaṇāpessathapi.“Foolish men, how can you do this?1.13Jīvasaññino hi, moghapurisā, manussā pathaviyā.People regard the earth as conscious.1.14Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.15evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.16.0Final ruling

1.16.1“Yo pana bhikkhu pathaviṁ khaṇeyya vā khaṇāpeyya vā, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk digs the earth or has it dug, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Yo panātiA:: 2.1.2yo yādiso …pe…whoever …
2.1.3bhikkhūtiMonk:: 2.1.4…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.… The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.
2.1.5Pathavī nāmaThe earth:: 2.1.6dve pathaviyo— jātā ca pathavī ajātā ca pathavī.there are two kinds of earth: productive earth and unproductive earth.
2.1.7Jātā nāma pathavī—Productive earth:: 2.1.8suddhapaṁsu suddhamattikā appapāsāṇā appasakkharā appakaṭhalā appamarumbā appavālikā, yebhuyyenapaṁsukā, yebhuyyenamattikā.pure soil, pure clay, with few stones, with few pebbles, with few potsherds, with little gravel, with little sand; mostly soil, mostly clay.2.1.9Adaḍḍhāpi vuccati jātā pathavī.If it is unburned, it is also called “productive earth”.2.1.10Yopi paṁsupuñjo vā mattikāpuñjo vā atirekacātumāsaṁ ovaṭṭho, ayampi vuccati jātā pathavī.A pile of soil or clay that has been rained on for more than four months—this too is called “productive earth”.
2.1.11Ajātā nāma pathavī—Unproductive earth:: 2.1.12suddhapāsāṇā suddhasakkharā suddhakaṭhalā suddhamarumbā suddhavālikā appapaṁsukā appamattikā, yebhuyyenapāsāṇā, yebhuyyenasakkharā, yebhuyyenakaṭhalā, yebhuyyenamarumbā, yebhuyyenavālikā.just stones, just pebbles, just potsherds, just gravel, just sand, with little soil, with little clay; mostly stones, mostly pebbles, mostly potsherds, mostly gravel, mostly sand.2.1.13Daḍḍhāpi vuccati ajātā pathavī.If it is burned, it is also called “unproductive earth”.2.1.14Yopi paṁsupuñjo vā mattikāpuñjo vā omakacātumāsaṁ ovaṭṭho, ayampi vuccati ajātā pathavī.A pile of soil or clay that has been rained on for less than four months—this too is called “unproductive earth”.
2.1.15KhaṇeyyātiDigs:: 2.1.16sayaṁ khaṇati, āpatti pācittiyassa.if he digs it himself, he commits an offense entailing confession.
2.1.17KhaṇāpeyyātiHas dug:: 2.1.18aññaṁ āṇāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.if he asks another, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.1.19Sakiṁ āṇatto bahukampi khaṇati, āpatti pācittiyassa.If he only asks once, then even if the other digs a lot, he commits one offense entailing confession.¹

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Pathaviyā pathavisaññī khaṇati vā khaṇāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, dahati vā dahāpeti vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is earth, and he perceives it as such, and he digs it or has it dug, or he breaks it or has it broken, or he burns it or has it burned, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.2Pathaviyā vematiko khaṇati vā khaṇāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, dahati vā dahāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is earth, but he is unsure of it, and he digs it or has it dug, or he breaks it or has it broken, or he burns it or has it burned, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.3Pathaviyā apathavisaññī khaṇati vā khaṇāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, dahati vā dahāpeti vā, anāpatti.If it is earth, but he does not perceive it as such, and he digs it or has it dug, or he breaks it or has it broken, or he burns it or has it burned, there is no offense.

2.2.4Apathaviyā pathavisaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not earth, but he perceives it as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.5Apathaviyā vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not earth, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.6Apathaviyā apathavisaññī, anāpatti.If it is not earth, and he does not perceive it as such, there is no offense.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2“imaṁ jāna, imaṁ dehi, imaṁ āhara, iminā attho, imaṁ kappiyaṁ karohī”ti bhaṇati,if he says, “Consider this,” “Give this,” “Bring this,” “There’s need for this,” “Make this allowable;”2.3.3asañcicca,if it is unintentional;2.3.4asatiyā,if he is not mindful;2.3.5ajānantassa,if he does not know;2.3.6ummattakassa,if he is insane;2.3.7ādikammikassāti.if he is the first offender.

2.3.8Pathavīkhaṇanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dasamaṁ.The training rule on digging the earth, the tenth, is finished.

2.3.9Musāvādavaggo paṭhamo.The first subchapter on lying is finished.

2.3.10TassuddānaṁThis is the summary:

2.3.11Musā omasapesuññaṁ,“Falsely, abusive, and malicious talebearing,2.3.12padaseyyāya ve duve;Memorizing, and two on beds;2.3.13Aññatra viññunā bhūtā,Except with one who understands, true,2.3.14duṭṭhullāpatti khaṇanāti.Grave offense, digging.”

10. Digging the earth