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89. Making an oversize sitting mat

Nisīdana

A monk who makes a sitting-cloth that is too large must cut it down and confess the offense.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2MahāvibhaṅgaThe Great Analysis
  • 0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
  • 0.4RatanavaggaThe subchapter on precious things

0.589. NisīdanasikkhāpadaMaking an oversize sitting mat

1.0.1Origin story

1.0.2First substory

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,1.2Tena kho pana samayena bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ nisīdanaṁ anuññātaṁ hoti.he allowed sitting mats for the monks.1.3Chabbaggiyā bhikkhū—1.4“bhagavatā nisīdanaṁ anuññātan”ti appamāṇikāni nisīdanāni dhārenti.Knowing this, the monks from the group of six used sitting mats that were inappropriate in size.1.5Mañcassapi pīṭhassapi puratopi pacchatopi olambenti.The sitting mats hung down from beds and benches, both in front and behind.

1.6Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks,1.7“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū appamāṇikāni nisīdanāni dhāressantī”ti …pe…“How can the monks from the group of six use such sitting mats?” …1.8“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, appamāṇikāni nisīdanāni dhārethā”ti?“Is it true, monks, that you do this?”

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

1.10Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.11kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, appamāṇikāni nisīdanāni dhāressatha.“Foolish men, how can you do this?1.12Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.13evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.14.0Preliminary ruling

1.14.1“Nisīdanaṁ pana bhikkhunā kārayamānena pamāṇikaṁ kāretabbaṁ.‘If a monk is having a sitting mat made, it is to be made the right size.1.15Tatridaṁ pamāṇaṁ—dīghaso dve vidatthiyo, sugatavidatthiyā; tiriyaṁ diyaḍḍhaṁ.This is the right size: two standard handspans long and one-and-a-half wide.1.16Taṁ atikkāmayato chedanakaṁ pācittiyan”ti.If it exceeds that, it is to be cut down, and he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

1.17Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks.

2.0Second substory

2.1PTS 4.171Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā udāyī mahākāyo hoti.At that time there was a big monk called Venerable Udāyī.2.2So bhagavato purato nisīdanaṁ paññapetvā samantato samañchamāno nisīdati.After putting out his sitting mat in front of the Buddha, he stretched it on all sides before sitting down.2.3Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca—The Buddha asked him,2.4“kissa tvaṁ, udāyi, nisīdanaṁ samantato samañchasi;“Udāyī, why are you stretching the sitting mat on all sides,2.5seyyathāpi purāṇāsikoṭṭho”ti?as if an old hide?”

2.6“Tathā hi pana, bhante, bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ atikhuddakaṁ nisīdanaṁ anuññātan”ti.“Because, sir, the sitting mat you’ve allowed for the monks is too small.”

2.7Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

2.8“anujānāmi, bhikkhave, nisīdanassa dasaṁ vidatthiṁ.“Monks, I allow a border of one handspan for the sitting mat.

2.9Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

2.10.0Final ruling

2.10.1“Nisīdanaṁ pana bhikkhunā kārayamānena pamāṇikaṁ kāretabbaṁ.‘If a monk is having a sitting mat made, it should be made the right size.2.11Tatridaṁ pamāṇaṁ—dīghaso dve vidatthiyo, sugatavidatthiyā; tiriyaṁ diyaḍḍhaṁ. Dasā vidatthi.This is the right size: two standard handspans long and one-and-a-half wide, and a border of one handspan.12.12Taṁ atikkāmayato chedanakaṁ pācittiyan”ti.If it exceeds that, it is to be cut down, and he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

3.1.0Definitions

3.1.1Nisīdanaṁ nāmaA sitting mat:
3.1.2sadasaṁ vuccati.one with a border is what is meant.
3.1.3KārayamānenātiIs having made:
3.1.4karonto vā kārāpento vā pamāṇikaṁ kāretabbaṁ.making it himself or having it made, it should be made the right size.3.1.5Tatridaṁ pamāṇaṁ— dīghaso dve vidatthiyo, sugatavidatthiyā; tiriyaṁ diyaḍḍhaṁ. Dasā vidatthi.This is the right size: two standard handspans long and one-and-a-half wide, and a border of one handspan.3.1.6Taṁ atikkāmetvā karoti vā kārāpeti vā, payoge dukkaṭaṁ.If he makes one, or has one made, that exceeds that, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct.3.1.7Paṭilābhena chinditvā pācittiyaṁ desetabbaṁ.When he gets it, it is to be cut down, and he is then to confess an offense entailing confession.

3.1.8.0Permutations

3.1.8.1Attanā vippakataṁ attanā pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If he finishes what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing confession.3.1.9Attanā vippakataṁ parehi pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If he has others finish what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing confession.3.1.10Parehi vippakataṁ attanā pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If he finishes himself what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing confession.3.1.11Parehi vippakataṁ parehi pariyosāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If he has others finish what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing confession.

3.1.12Aññassatthāya 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.3.1.13Aññena 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.

3.2.0Non-offenses

3.2.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:3.2.2pamāṇikaṁ karoti,if he makes it the right size; 3.2.3ūnakaṁ karoti,if he makes it smaller than the right size; 3.2.4aññena kataṁ pamāṇātikkantaṁ paṭilabhitvā chinditvā paribhuñjati,if he gets one made by another that exceeds the right size and then cuts it down before using it; 3.2.5vitānaṁ vā bhūmattharaṇaṁ vā sāṇipākāraṁ vā bhisiṁ vā bibbohanaṁ vā karoti,if he makes a canopy, a floor cover, a cloth screen, a mattress, or a pillow; 3.2.6ummattakassa,if he is insane; 3.2.7ādikammikassāti.if he is the first offender.

3.2.8Nisīdanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ sattamaṁ.The training rule on making an oversize sitting mat, the seventh, is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. For an explanation of rendering sugata as “standard”, see Appendix of Technical Terms.

    ↩ pli-tv-bu-vb-pc89:2.11