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

0.511. BhūtagāmasikkhāpadaDestroying plants

1.0Origin story

1.1PTS 4.34Tena 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 rukkhaṁ chindantipi chedāpentipi.At that time the monks of Āḷavī were doing building work, and they cut down trees and had them cut down.1.3Aññataropi āḷavako bhikkhu rukkhaṁ chindati.Then, when a certain monk was cutting down a tree,1.4Tasmiṁ rukkhe adhivatthā devatā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca—the deity that lived in it said to him,1.5“mā, bhante, attano bhavanaṁ kattukāmo mayhaṁ bhavanaṁ chindī”ti.“Venerable, don’t cut down our dwelling because you want to build a dwelling for yourself.”1.6So bhikkhu anādiyanto chindiyeva, tassā ca devatāya dārakassa bāhuṁ ākoṭesi.Not taking any heed, he just cut it down, and he hurt the arm of that deity’s child.1.7Atha kho tassā devatāya etadahosi—The deity thought,1.8“yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ idheva jīvitā voropeyyan”ti.“Why don’t I just kill this monk?”1.9Atha kho tassā devatāya etadahosi—But then it reconsidered,1.10“na kho metaṁ patirūpaṁ yāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ idheva jīvitā voropeyyaṁ.“It wouldn’t be right to just kill this monk.1.11Yannūnāhaṁ bhagavato etamatthaṁ āroceyyan”ti.Let me instead tell the Buddha about this matter.”1.12Atha kho sā devatā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesi.And it approached the Buddha and told him what had happened.

1.13“Sādhu sādhu, devate.“Well done, deity!1.14Sādhu kho tvaṁ, devate, taṁ bhikkhuṁ jīvitā na voropesi.It’s good that you didn’t kill that monk.1.15Sacajja tvaṁ, devate, taṁ bhikkhuṁ jīvitā voropeyyāsi, bahuñca tvaṁ, devate, apuññaṁ pasaveyyāsi.If you had killed that monk, you would have made much demerit.1.16Gaccha tvaṁ, devate, amukasmiṁ okāse rukkho vivitto tasmiṁ upagacchā”ti.The tree over there is empty. Take that as your dwelling.”

1.17Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—People complained and criticized the monks,1.18“kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā rukkhaṁ chindissantipi chedāpessantipi ekindriyaṁ samaṇā sakyaputtiyā jīvaṁ viheṭhentī”ti.“How can the Sakyan monastics cut down trees and have them cut down? They are hurting life with one sense.”

1.19Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.The monks heard the complaints of those people,1.20Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks,1.21“kathañhi nāma āḷavakā bhikkhū rukkhaṁ chindissantipi chedāpessantipī”ti …pe…“How can those monks at Āḷavī cut down trees and have them cut down?”…1.22“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, rukkhaṁ chindathāpi chedāpethāpī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that you do this?”

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

1.24Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.25kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, rukkhaṁ chindissathāpi, chedāpessathāpi.“Foolish men, how can you do this?1.26Jīvasaññino hi, moghapurisā, manussā rukkhasmiṁ.People regard trees as conscious.1.27Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.28evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.29.0Final ruling

1.29.1“Bhūtagāmapātabyatāya pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk destroys a plant, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Bhūtagāmo nāmaPlant:: 2.1.2pañca bījajātāni— mūlabījaṁ, khandhabījaṁ, phaḷubījaṁ, aggabījaṁ, bījabījameva pañcamaṁ.there are five kinds of propagation: propagation from roots, propagation from stems, propagation from joints, propagation from cuttings, propagation from seeds.
2.1.3PTS 4.35Mūlabījaṁ nāma—Propagation from roots:: 2.1.4haliddi, siṅgiveraṁ, vacā, vacattaṁ, ativisā, kaṭukarohiṇī, usīraṁ, bhaddamuttakaṁ, yāni vā panaññānipi atthi mūle jāyanti, mūle sañjāyanti, etaṁ mūlabījaṁ nāma.turmeric, ginger, sweet flag, white sweet flag, atis root, black hellebore, vetiver root, nutgrass, or any other plant produced from roots, that grows from roots—this is called “propagation from roots”.¹
2.1.5Khandhabījaṁ nāma—Propagation from stems:: 2.1.6assattho, nigrodho, pilakkho, udumbaro, kacchako, kapitthano, yāni vā panaññānipi atthi khandhe jāyanti, khandhe sañjāyanti, etaṁ khandhabījaṁ nāma.the Bodhi tree, the banyan tree, the Indian rock fig, the cluster fig, the Indian cedar, the portia tree, or any other plant produced from stems, that grows from stems—this is called “propagation from stems”.
2.1.7Phaḷubījaṁ nāma—Propagation from joints:: 2.1.8ucchu, veḷu, naḷo, yāni vā panaññānipi atthi pabbe jāyanti, pabbe sañjāyanti, etaṁ phaḷubījaṁ nāma.sugarcane, bamboo, reed, or any other plant produced from joints, that grows from joints—this is called “propagation from joints”.
2.1.9Aggabījaṁ nāma—Propagation from cuttings:: 2.1.10ajjukaṁ, phaṇijjakaṁ, hiriveraṁ, yāni vā panaññānipi atthi agge jāyanti, agge sañjāyanti, etaṁ aggabījaṁ nāma.shrubby basil, rajmahal hemp, Vicks plant, or any other plant produced from cuttings, that grows from cuttings—this is called “propagation from cuttings”.
2.1.11Bījabījaṁ nāma—Propagation from seeds:: 2.1.12pubbaṇṇaṁ, aparaṇṇaṁ, yāni vā panaññānipi atthi bīje jāyanti, bīje sañjāyanti, etaṁ bījabījaṁ nāma.grains, vegetables, or any other plant produced from seeds, that grows from seeds—this is called “propagation from seeds”.

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Bīje bījasaññī chindati vā chedāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, pacati vā pacāpeti vā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If it is capable of propagation, and he perceives that it is, and he cuts it down or has it cut down, or he breaks it or has it broken, or he cooks it or has it cooked, he commits an offense entailing confession.²2.2.2Bīje vematiko chindati vā chedāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, pacati vā pacāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is capable of propagation, but he is unsure of it, and he cuts it down or has it cut down, or he breaks it or has it broken, or he cooks it or has it cooked, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.3Bīje abījasaññī chindati vā chedāpeti vā, bhindati vā bhedāpeti vā, pacati vā pacāpeti vā, anāpatti.If it is capable of propagation, but he perceives that it is not, and he cuts it down or has it cut down, or he breaks it or has it broken, or he cooks it or has it cooked, there is no offense.

2.2.4Abīje bījasaññī āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not capable of propagation, but he perceives that it is, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.5Abīje vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If it is not capable of propagation, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.6Abīje abījasaññī, anāpatti.If it is not capable of propagation, and he perceives that it is not, 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;2.3.4assatiyā,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.

2.3.8Bhūtagāmasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.The training rule on destroying plants, the first, is finished.

11. Destroying plants