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"bhútagámapátabyatáya, pácittiyaµ."
Not to destroy plants. If a bhikkhu destroys or causes someone else to destroy plants that already reached their growing stage or completed their growth, he commits a pácittiya.
However, a bhikkhu who destroys a germ (root, stem, joint, bud or a seed) commits a fault but not a pácittiya. Concerning moss, being neither endowed of a bud, nor of leaves, it is considered as a germ. If, at the same time a root or a bud have grown out, it is already considered as a plant (or tree). By destroying a plant (or a tree), a bhikkhu commits the pácittiya 11. If a bhikkhu accidentally destroys small plants, he does not commit any fault.
Offering of fruits
In order to consume one of these plants or seeds (fruits and vegetables containing edible grains, roots, leaves, sugar cane, etc.), the vinaya foresees a way to make them permitted. There are three ways to make a fruit (or another plant) authorised:
In order to make the fruit permitted, a kappiya (hence the term), layman or sámašera, by touching a fruit (or another plant) must first of all announce to a bhikkhu that this fruit is authorised and only after (or at the same time), he damages it by marking it with fire, a scratch with a nail, or even by peeling and by completely cutting it into slices, but this fruit should at least have a small notch (or a burn). If the fruit is cut before announcing that it is authorised, it is suggested to renotch it after this announcement.
Once the fruit is allowed, the kappiya offers it to the bhikkhu who must receive it (touching from the base) whilst the kappiya holds it, or else, by receiving it in the container in which it is, or perhaps on the table on which it is served.
When a bhikkhu is offered a non authorised fruit, he can request a kappiya to make it authorised by pronouncing the adequate formula, in pá¦i or in another language...
"kappiyaµ karohi."
Please make this fruit authorised", "Could you make that this fruit become consumable", etc.
Before damaging the fruit (or by damaging it), the kappiya pronounces the adequate formula whether in pá¦i, or else in another language...
"kappiyaµ bhante."
"Now being authorised, Venerable" or "You can eat it" or "It is ready to be consumed", etc.
If the fruits fit to be authorised are in large quantity, it is just sufficient to gather them in such a way that they all touch each other. Afterwards, by damaging one of these fruits, all the others are also made authorised.
If a non autorized fruit must be ground before being offered, as a matter of convenience, it is preferable that it is made authorised before grinding.
Once a fruit is made authorised, it remains as such forever. If an authorised fruit being offered to a bhikkhu is not eaten and the bhikkhu on purpose forsook it, this fruit can be re-offered to such or another bhikkhu another day. To that end, it doesn't need to be authorised a second time.
The fruits that need to be authorised by a kappiya are all those that contain edible seeds (strawberries, fresh peanuts, tomatoes...) or that can be damaged (grape, mandarins...) The cooked fruits in which the seeds are eaten no longer need to be authorised by a kappiya given the fact that the seeds are no longer fertile. The same applies to fruits whose seeds or grains are too young to be fertile.
The roots fit to give birth to a plant need a kappiya so as to be authorised (ginger, radish, carrots...)
The uncooked cereals also need a kappiya in order to be authorised (corn, wheat, millet, sunflower...)
"aññavádake, vihesake pácittiyaµ."
Not to change the conversation when the saµgha asks a question. If a bhikkhu bothers the community of the saµgha, whether by giving a reply that does not correspond with the question being asked, or else by remaining silent, he commits a pácittiya.
It is suitable to utter a specific formula to the bhikkhu who replied in a diverted way or remained silent, while listening to the questions that were asked to him. If at the end of this reading, this bhikkhu does not give a convenient reply to the original question or remains silent, he commits the pácittiya 12.
"ujjhápanake, khiyyanake, pácittiyaµ."
Not to blame or slander a bhikkhu. If a bhikkhu utters blames or slanders against another bhikkhu, he commits a pácittiya.
A bhikkhu directly expressing criticism addressed to another bhikkhu or spreading slanders about him by telling others, are two ways to commit the pácittiya 13.
Only a bhikkhu assigned to a task (post, duty, etc.) by the saµgha causes the pácittiya 13 to be committed by the bhikkhu who slanders him.
Of course, the bhikkhu who blames a corrupt bhikkhu does not commit any fault.
"yo pana bhikkhu saµghikaµ mañcaµvá pí†haµ vá bhisiµ vá kocchaµ vá ajjhokáse santha ritvá vá santha rápetvá vá taµ pakkamanto neva uddhareyya, na uddharápeyya, anápucchaµ vá gaccheyya, pácittiyaµ."
Not to leave a mattress or a chair outside without arranging it back suitably. If a bhikkhu installs or causes someone else to install outside a material that belongs to the saµgha, worthy to be used for sleeping or sitting – such as a bed, a chair, a mattress or a mat –, and upon leaving this spot, he does not arrange this material back into its original place, nor makes or tells someone who is fit to arrange it back to do so, he commits a pácittiya.
"yo pana bhikkhu saµghike viháre seyyaµ santha ritvá vá santha rápetvá vá taµ pakkamanto neva uddhareyya, na uddharápeyya, anápucchaµ vá gaccheyya, pácittiyaµ."
Not to leave a couch that has been moved in the monastery. If, in a monastery, a bhikkhu himself moves or causes someone else to move a couch (bed, mattress, etc.) and upon leaving, he does not arrange it back suitably, nor causes someone else to arrange it back, or tells anyone who is fit to arrange it back, he commits a pácittiya.
By leaving a couch in an area that is protected from termites and rain, a bhikkhu does not commit any fault.
"yo pana bhikkhu saµghike viháre jánaµ pubbupagataµ bhikkhuµ anupakhajja seyyaµ kappeyya "yassa sambádho bhavissati, so pakkamissatí" ti etadeva paccayaµ karitvá anaññaµ pácittiyaµ."
Not to set a bhikkhu apart in order to make him leave. If, in a monastery belonging to the saµgha, a bhikkhu sits or lies down on a place situated against another bhikkhu's spot in such a way that, by feeling uneasy owing to the lack of space, the latter leaves the place, he commits a pácittiya.
According to this rule, by any means whatsoever (lack of space, noise, smoke, etc.), a bhikkhu must in no case behave so that another bhikkhu, whoever he is, leaves his lodging spot, if the sole motive is to make him leave. However, under legitimate reasons, a bhikkhu can request other bhikkhus to move to another spot. However, there are three classes of bhikkhus to whom a bhikkhu can under no pretence make that request:
"yo pana bhikkhu bhikkhuµ kupito anattamano saµghiká vihárá nikkað†eyya vá nikkað†ápeyya vá, pácittiyaµ."
Not to expel a bhikkhu from a lodging belonging to the saµgha. If a bhikkhu expels or causes someone else to expel a bhikkhu from a lodging place belonging to the saµgha, he commits a pácittiya.
In the same way, if a bhikkhu causes another bhikkhu to be expelled from a lodging belonging to the saµgha by winning the case in a court of law, he commits the pácittiya 17.
A bhikkhu does not commit any fault by expelling a bhikkhu - or a sámašera - if the latter
is violent or desobedient. However, it is not allowed to expel this type of person from the monastery's compound. No fault is committed, by expelling a bhikkhu – or a sámašera – if the latter behaves badly, provokes big conflicts or refuses to obey to his instructors or preceptor. It is also allowed to throw out the belongings of such people.
"yo pana bhikkhu saµghike viháre uparivehásaku†iyá áhaccapádakaµ mañcaµ vá pí†haµvá abhinisídeyya vá abhinipajjeyya vá, pácittiyaµ."
Not to install oneself on a bed or a chair that is placed on a floor with broken planks. If a bhikkhu sits or lies down on a chair or a bed placed on the first floor of a house belonging to the saµgha, and its floor shows holes opened to the lower floor - the planks not being completely installed - and this chair or this bed has removable legs or board, this bhikkhu commits a pácittiya.
This pácittiya is committed only if the four following factors apply:
"mahallakaµ pana bhikkhuná viháraµ kárayamánena yáva dvárakosá agga¦a††hapanáya álokasandhiparikammáya dvatticchadanassa pariyáyaµ appaharite †hitena adhi††hátabbaµ. tatoce uttari apaharite pi †hito adhi††haheyya, pácittiyaµ."
Not to build a roof having more than three layers. If a bhikkhu himself builds or causes someone else to build a roof containing more than three layers, he commits a pácittiya.
Note: This method of erecting a roof by means of several layers is typically Indian. Henceforth, methods of construction being utilised in other countries are not concerned by the pácittiya 19.
"yo pana bhikkhu jánaµ sappášakaµ udakaµ tišaµ vá mattikaµ vá siñceyya vá siñcápeyya vá, pácittiyaµ."
Not to pour on the ground some water containing insects. If, knowing that there are insects or other worms in some water (living things that usually live in the water), a bhikkhu himself pours this water on the grass or on the ground, or causes someone else to pour it, he commits a pácittiya.
A bhikkhu must not pour on the ground any water containing beings that live in it. In order to spare their lives, this water must be poured on a spot where there is water propitious to these beings. Admittedly, it is improper to pour, in a pool or a river, water that contains insects that fell but cannot live in it (such as ants), no fault is being committed if throwing this water on the ground or the grass.
Origin: Texts in Burmese language
Translator (Burmese to French): Monk Dhamma Sámi
Date of translation: 2000
Translator (French to English: Thierry Lambrou
Date of translation (into English): 2002
Update: 2005, June the 19th
