The chapter on minor topics (PLI-TV-KD15)

Restrooms

At that time there were monks who urinated here and there in the monastery.

The monastery became filthy.

“You should urinate in one location.”

The monastery became smelly.

“I allow urine-collection pots.”

It was painful to sit there while urinating.

“I allow foot stands for urinating.”¹¹⁸

The foot stands were unenclosed.

The monks were embarrassed to urinate there.

“I allow three kinds of encircling walls:

walls of brick, stone, and wood.”

Not being covered, the urine-collection pots were smelly.

“I allow lids.”

At that time there were monks who defecated here and there in the monastery.

The monastery became filthy.

“You should defecate in one location.”

The monastery became smelly.

“I allow cesspits.”

The edge of the cesspit collapsed.

“I allow you to construct three kinds of foundations:

foundations of brick, stone, and wood.”

The cesspit was situated at a low point. It was flooded.

“I allow you to raise the base.”

The mound collapsed.

“I allow you to construct three kinds of raised foundations:

raised foundations of brick, stone, and wood.”

It was difficult to get up to the cesspit.

“I allow three kinds of stairs:

stairs of brick, stone, and wood.”

People fell down while climbing the stairs.

“I allow rails.”

When seated on the edge to defecate, they fell down.

“I allow you to lay a floor with a gap in the middle for defecating.”

It was painful to sit there while defecating.

“I allow foot stands for defecating.”

They urinated outside the cesspit.

“I allow urinals.”

There were no wiping sticks.

“I allow wiping sticks.”

There was no container for the wiping sticks.

“I allow containers for wiping sticks.”

Not being covered, the cesspit was smelly.

“I allow lids.”

Because they were defecating outdoors, the monks were troubled by the cold and the heat.

“I allow restrooms.”

The restrooms didn’t have doors.

“I allow doors, door frames, lower hinges, upper hinges, door jambs, bolt sockets, bolts, latches, keyholes, door-pulling holes, and door-pulling ropes.”

Grass and dust fell into the restrooms.

“I allow you to firm up the structure and then to plaster it inside and outside, including:

treating with white color, black color, and red ocher; making garland patterns, creeper patterns, shark-teeth patterns, and the fivefold pattern; putting up bamboo robe racks and clotheslines.”

On one occasion a monk who was weak from old age fell over as he was getting up after defecating.

“I allow suspended ropes to hold onto.”

The restrooms were unenclosed.

“I allow three kinds of encircling walls:

walls of brick, stone, and wood.”

There were no gatehouses.

“I allow gatehouses.”

The gatehouses didn’t have doors.

“I allow doors, door frames, lower hinges, upper hinges, door jambs, bolt sockets, bolts, latches, keyholes, door-pulling holes, and door-pulling ropes.”

Grass and dust fell into the gatehouses.

“I allow you to firm up the structure and then to plaster it inside and outside, including:

treating with white color, black color, and red ocher; making garland patterns, creeper patterns, shark-teeth patterns, and the fivefold pattern.”

The yards were muddy.

“I allow you to cover them with gravel.”

They were unable to do it.

“I allow you to lay paving stones.”

The water remained.

“I allow water drains.”

There were no restroom ablution pots.

“I allow restroom ablution pots.”

There were no scoops for the ablution pots.

“I allow scoops for the ablution pots.”

It was painful to sit there while washing.

“I allow ablution foot stands.”

The foot stands were unenclosed. The monks were embarrassed to wash there.

“I allow three kinds of encircling walls:

walls of brick, stone, and wood.”

The restroom ablution pots were not covered. Grass, dust, and dirt fell into them.

“I allow lids.”

Even more regulations on proper conduct and allowable requisites

At one time the monks from the group of six were misbehaving in many ways.

They planted flowering trees, watered and plucked them, and then tied the flowers together. They made the flowers into garlands, garlands with stalks on one side and garlands with stalks on both sides. They made flower arrangements, wreaths, ornaments for the head, ornaments for the ears, and ornaments for the chest. And they had others do the same.

They then took these things, or sent them, to the women, the daughters, the girls, the daughters-in-law, and the female slaves of respectable families.

They ate from the same plates as these women and drank from the same vessels. They sat on the same seats as them, and they lay down on the same beds, on the same sheets, under the same covers, and both on the same sheets and under the same covers. They ate at the wrong time, drank alcohol, and wore garlands, perfumes, and cosmetics. They danced, sang, played instruments, and performed.

While the women were dancing, singing, playing instruments, and performing,

so would they.

They played various games: eight-row checkers, ten-row checkers, imaginary checkers, hopscotch, pick-up-sticks, board games, tipcat, painting with the hand, dice, leaf flutes, toy plows, somersaults, pinwheels, toy measures, toy carriages, toy bows, guessing from syllables, thought guessing, mimicking deformities.

They trained in elephant riding, in horsemanship, in carriage riding, in archery,

in swordsmanship.

And they ran in front of elephants, horses, and carriages, and they ran backward and forward.

They whistled, clapped their hands, wrestled, and boxed.

They spread their outer robe on a stage and said to the dancing girls,

“Dance here, sister,”

and they made gestures of approval.

And they misbehaved in a variety of ways.

They told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

“You shouldn’t engage in various kinds of misbehavior.

If you do, you should be dealt with according to the rule.”¹¹⁹

At the time of Venerable Uruvelakassapa’s going forth, the Sangha was offered a large number of iron, wooden, and ceramic goods.

The monks thought,

“Which iron,

wooden,

and ceramic goods have been allowed by the Buddha, and which not?”

They told the Buddha.

The Buddha then gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

“I allow all iron goods except weapons; all wooden goods except high couches, luxurious couches, wooden almsbowls, and wooden shoes; and all ceramic goods except ceramic foot scrubbers and clay huts.”¹²⁰

The fifth chapter on minor topics is finished.

This is the summary:

“On a tree, and on a post, and against a wall,

On a rubbing board, rubbing-hand, and with a string;

Massage, scrubber, itchy,

And old age, ordinary hand massage.

And earrings, hanging strings,

shouldn’t wear a necklace;

Hips, bangles, armlets,

Bracelets, rings.

Long, brush, comb, hands,

Beeswax, water and oil;

Sores in a mirror or bowl of water,

Ointment, creams, powder.

They applied, and body cosmetics,

Facial cosmetics, both;

Eye disease, and hilltop,

drawn-out voice, outside.

Mangoes, pieces, with whole,

Snake, and cut off, sandal;

Luxurious, bowl bottoms,

Gold, thick, marks.

Colorful, stained, smelly,

In the heat, they broke, on a bench;

Ledge, straw, cloth,

Platform, and container.

Bag, and shoulder strap,

So a string for fastening;

From a peg, and on a bed, and on a bench,

In the lap, on a sunshade, opening.

Gourd, waterpots, skull,

Chewed food remnants, trash can;

Tore, handle, gold,

Feather, and piece, cylinder.

Yeast, flour, and stone powder,

Beeswax, case;

Deformed corners, tied down, uneven,

Ground, deteriorating, and not right.

Ruler, and guide line,

Dirty, wet, sandals;

Finger, and thimble,

Small bowl, bag, strap.

Outside, low base,

And also the mound, they had difficulty;

Fell down, grass and dust,

Plaster inside and outside.

White, and black color,

And treating with red ocher;

Making a garland pattern, and a creeper pattern,

A shark-teeth pattern, pattern.

Bamboo robe rack, and line,

Did the Leader allow;

Abandoned and left,

The frame broke.

Unfolded, and against a wall,

Taking their bowls they went;

Bag, and fastening string,

And bound the sandals.

And sandal bag,

And shoulder strap, string;

Unallowable water while traveling,

Water filter, cloth.

Water strainer, two monks,

The Sage went to Vesālī;

Wooden frame, spreading there,

He allowed a filter.

With mosquitoes, with fine,

And often sick, Jīvaka;

Walking-meditation paths, sauna,

On uneven, low base.

Three foundations, they had difficulty,

Stairs, rails, railings;

Outside, grass and dust,

Plastered inside and outside.

White, and black color,

And treating with red ocher;

Making a garland pattern, and a creeper pattern,

A shark-teeth pattern, pattern.

Bamboo, and clothesline,

And should raise the base;

Mound, and stairs, rails,

Door, door frame.

Lower hinge, upper hinge,

Door jamb, bolt socket;

Bolt, latch, keyhole,

And door-pulling, rope.

Encircling trench, and flue,

And in the middle, clay for the face;

Trough, smelly, scorched,

Water place, scoop.

And did not sweat, muddy,

Wash, should make a drain;

And bench, gatehouse, making,

Gravel, stones, drain.

Naked, on the ground, raining,

Three coverings there;

Well, collapsed, low,

With creepers, belt.

Well-sweep, pulley, wheel,

Many vessels broke;

Iron, wood, hide,

House, grass, and cover.

Trough, disposal area, wall,

Muddy, and with a drain;

Cold, lotus bathing tank,

And stagnant, pointed roof.

Four months, and they slept,

And piece of felt, should not determine;

Heating, stand,

They ate from one, they lay down.

Vaḍḍha, Bodhi, he did not step on,

Waterpot, ceramic foot scrubber, broom;

Stone, and pebbles,

Pumice foot scrubbers.

Standard fan, palm-leaf fan,

And mosquito, yak-tail;

Sunshade, and without, in a monastery,

Three with agreement on carrying net.

Regurgitator, rice, long nails,

Cutting, the fingers hurt;

Bled, and even,

Twenty, long haired.

Razor, stone, case,

Felt, barber equipment;

They trimmed beards, grew them long,

Goatee, sideburns.

Circle beard, and chest hair,

Mustache, would remove from private parts;

Disease, sore with scissors,

Long, and small stones.

Gray, blocked, luxurious,

Metal goods, with ointment box;

And clasping the knees, back-and-knee strap,

Weft, shuttle, belt.

Multiple string belt, water snake head belt,

Belts of twisted strings of various colors, belts like ornamental ropes;

Strips of cloth, and pigs’ intestines,

Edges, twisted strings of various colors, ornamental ropes;

End, loop, and knot,

Also the loop at the end wore away.

Toggles, and luxurious,

Also should insert a shield at the edge;

Sarongs like householders, elephant trunk,

Fish style, four-corner style.

Palm leaf, hundred fold,

Wearing upper robes like householders;

Loin cloths, carrying poles with loads on both ends,

Tooth cleaner, smacking.

Stuck in the throat, and forest,

Counterfire, tree, with elephant;

Yameḷa, cosmological theory,

They learned, they taught.

Worldly talk, knowledge,

He sneezed, blessing, and he ate;

Stomachache, and became filthy,

Smelly, painful, foot stands.

They were embarrassed, covered, smelly,

And they did it here and there;

Smelly, cesspit, collapsed,

Raised base, and with foundation.

Stairs, rails,

On the edge, and painful, foot stands;

Outside, urinal, and sticks,

And container, uncovered.

Restroom, and door,

And just the door frame;

Lower hinge, upper hinge,

And door jamb, bolt socket.

Bolt, latch, keyhole,

And just a door-pulling hole;

Rope, plastered inside and outside,

And white color, black.

Making a garland pattern, a creeper pattern,

Shark, the fivefold pattern;

Bamboo robe rack, and line,

Weak from old age, wall.

And so also just a gatehouse,

Gravel, paving stones;

Remained, drain,

And also pot, scoop.

Painful, embarrassed, lid,

And they misbehaved;

He allowed iron goods,

Except weapons.

Except high couches and luxurious couches,

And wooden almsbowls, wooden shoes;

All wooden goods,

The Great Sage allowed.

Ceramic foot scrubbers, and clay huts,

The Buddha having excepted;

Also all clay goods,

The Compassionate One allowed.

The details of the topics,

If the same as the preceding,

Is also found in brief in the summary verses,

For the purpose of guiding those who have understood it.

Thus there are one hundred and ten topics

In the chapter on minor topics in the Monastic Law.

Indeed, the true Teaching will be long lived,

And good people will be supported.

A well-trained expert in the Monastic Law,

A good person intent on what’s beneficial,

A wise one, lighting a lamp—

This is a learned one worthy of homage.”

The chapter on minor topics is finished.